Taxonomy & naming
Ng and Kottelat described Hyalobagrus leiacanthus in 1998. The Catalog of Fishes (Eschmeyer, CAS) lists it as the valid name, authority Ng & Kottelat, 1998. It belongs to Bagridae, the Asian bagrid catfishes, in a small genus of dwarf species. The type locality is the Sungai Barito at Muara Laung, Kalimantan Tengah, Borneo, Indonesia. Dealers list it under its scientific name only.
Morphology
FishBase gives a maximum length of 1.5 in SL. The genus name refers to the glassy body, which is translucent enough that the skeleton and organs show through in life. As in all bagrids the skin is scaleless and the dorsal and pectoral fins carry spines; the species name refers to the smooth rear edge of those spines.
Habitat
FishBase records the species as freshwater and demersal, known only from the Kapuas and Barito basins of central Borneo, Indonesia. Both are large lowland systems of Kalimantan. The source gives no temperature, pH or hardness range.
Feeding
FishBase records no diet. Dwarf bagrids of this size take small live and frozen foods, and aquarium keepers use micro worms, baby brine shrimp and small frozen foods offered on the bottom.
Mating
Courtship and spawning behaviour are not recorded in the available sources.
Breeding
No breeding record is available for this species.
In the aquarium
At under 1.5 in it fits a small, mature tank, but it is a shy fish that needs quiet tankmates and hiding places: leaf litter, fine roots and dense planting. Avoid large or boisterous fish, which will outcompete it for food and may eat it. Transparent bodies make it easy to lose in a busy tank, so a species tank or a calm nano community of small peaceful fish is the best home. Water figures are not recorded; soft, slightly acidic water of the kind found in Bornean rivers is the usual choice.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assesses the species as Data Deficient (assessment of 10 May 2019). With only two river basins on record, its status depends on what is found in them.