Taxonomy & naming
Described by Pieter Bleeker in 1864, originally in a different genus, and now placed in Mystus (some authors place it elsewhere), hence the parentheses. The type locality is the Me-Nam River at Bangkok, Thailand. It is a valid species in the Catalog of Fishes. The epithet is a Latinised surname, probably honouring the French naturalist Marie Firmin Bocourt, though the sources available to the atlas do not state the dedication.
Morphology
A bagrid with four barbel pairs, a spined dorsal fin and a long adipose fin. FishBase gives a maximum of 9.5 in SL, which makes it a larger Mystus than the small aquarium species. FishBase notes that the genus can breathe air facultatively.
Habitat
FishBase lists the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins, with a report from the Maeklong River, and describes a demersal, potamodromous fish (one that migrates within rivers) of medium to large rivers. It gives 72–77 °F, pH 6.5 to 7.2 and a hardness of 10 to 20 dH.
Feeding
Adults feed on crustaceans and benthic invertebrates, according to FishBase.
Mating
FishBase gives oviparous reproduction with distinct pairing, possibly like other members of the family.
Breeding
The species is oviparous according to FishBase. No aquarium breeding record is known to the atlas.
In the aquarium
Not a community fish. An adult of 9.5 in SL is too large and predatory for ordinary tanks. If bought as a juvenile, plan a large tank at 72–77 °F with tankmates too big to swallow; handle the spines carefully.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List lists Mystus bocourti as Vulnerable, meaning it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild; FishBase gives no assessment year. FishBase describes the fish as rare throughout its range and usually marketed fresh.