Taxonomy & naming
Bleeker described the species in 1851 from Sambas, western Borneo, and the authority is in parentheses because it was moved into Silurichthys later. It belongs to Siluridae, the Old World sheatfishes. The Catalog of Fishes lists the name as valid.
Morphology
FishBase gives a maximum of 6 in SL. Silurichthys species are slender, with small dorsal fins or none, a long anal fin and short barbels. The epithet joins Greek roots for dusky and body.
Habitat
FishBase says it lives in very acidic, pH 4 to 5, tannin-stained blackwater of peat swamps, in lowland streams and peat. It is known only from northwestern Borneo, and a report from the Mekong basin is also listed. FishBase does not record a temperature or hardness for it.
Feeding
FishBase calls it nocturnal, feeding on aquatic insects and small fishes, mainly insect larvae.
Mating
Mating behaviour is not described.
Breeding
No breeding record is known for the species.
In the aquarium
It suits a blackwater tank with peat or leaf litter, very soft acidic water and plenty of cover. Keep it with small peaceful fishes that are too large to eat, offer live and frozen foods after dark, and avoid hard or alkaline water.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List carries Silurichthys phaiosoma as Near Threatened. Its peat-swamp habitat in Borneo is cleared and drained for agriculture and plantations.