Taxonomy & naming
Described by Decio Vinciguerra in 1890 and now placed in Mystus, hence the parentheses. The type locality is Meetan, Tenasserim Provinces, Myanmar. It is a valid species in the Catalog of Fishes. The epithet is Latin for 'becoming reddish'.
Morphology
A bagrid with four barbel pairs and spined dorsal and pectoral fins; the name suggests a reddish tint. FishBase gives a maximum of 5.5 in SL and notes that the genus can breathe air facultatively.
Habitat
FishBase lists the Irrawaddy, Sittang and lower Salween basins of Myanmar, and classes it as a freshwater demersal fish. It may occur in Thailand but has not been collected there.
Feeding
A carnivore-omnivore by genus default; no species-specific data.
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
Rarely kept. At up to 5.5 in SL it still needs space, cover and tankmates too large to swallow; take care with the fin spines.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed Mystus rufescens as Least Concern in 2009.