Taxonomy & naming
Described by Franz Steindachner in 1867. The type locality is the Fitzroy River at Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It is a valid species in the Catalog of Fishes. The epithet honours the Austrian anatomist Joseph Hyrtl.
Morphology
Neosilurus are eel-tailed catfishes: a long body with a tapering tail that merges the dorsal, caudal and anal fins, four pairs of barbels and a spined pectoral and dorsal fin. FishBase gives a maximum of 13.5 in SL for this species.
Habitat
FishBase gives Australia only, classing it as a demersal, potamodromous fish (one that migrates within rivers) at 72–82 °F and pH 6.8 to 8.0. Other sources extend it to streams, rivers and billabongs in southern New Guinea.
Feeding
A bottom-feeding omnivore-carnivore of insects, crustaceans and small fish, by genus default; no species-specific diet study is known to the atlas.
Mating
Mating behaviour is not documented for Neosilurus hyrtlii in the sources available to the atlas. Sexes cannot be separated reliably from the information available.
Breeding
No aquarium breeding record is known to the atlas.
In the aquarium
Plotosid catfish carry venomous fin spines, so net with care and wear gloves for handling. At up to 13.5 in SL it needs a large tank at 72–82 °F with hiding places and sinking foods. It will eat small tankmates.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed Neosilurus hyrtlii as Least Concern in 2019.