Genus · Catfish

Microglanis

Microglanis is a genus with 22 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Catfish section, recorded from Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina and 5 more countries. Adult sizes run from 1 in to 4.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
22
Adult sizes
1–4.5 in
IUCN assessed
22 of 22 · 1 threatened
Recorded from
8 countries

About the genus

Microglanis is a genus of small, secretive catfish in the family Pseudopimelodidae — sometimes called bumblebee or dwarf marbled catfish for their mottled black-and-cream or black-and-yellow patterning — distributed across the rivers and streams of South America, with the bulk of species recorded from Brazil and further records from Ecuador, Argentina, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. They are short, broad-headed, wide-mouthed ambush predators with a squat, pimelodid-like build, rarely exceeding about 4.5 in, and spend their days tucked into cover before hunting small invertebrates and fish fry after dark.

A handful of species are genuinely popular in the aquarium trade under the bumblebee catfish name — M. iheringi and M. leptostriatus in particular are regularly available and valued for their bold pattern and manageable size, though their nocturnal, ambush-predator instincts mean they will take much smaller tankmates. Most Microglanis in the atlas are Least Concern or unassessed, with only single species flagged Near Threatened and Vulnerable, so the genus as a whole does not appear to be under heavy pressure, though data for many South American members remain thin.

IUCN Red List: Vulnerable · 1 Near Threatened · 1 Least Concern · 10 Data Deficient · 3 Not Evaluated · 7

The 22 species

Every Microglanis recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

Ahl, 1936

3 in SL · NE

Tobes, Falconí-López, Valdiviezo-Rivera & Provenzano, 2020

2 in SL · NE

Vera Alcaraz, da Graça & Shibatta, 2008

1.5 in SL · LC

Malabarba & Mahler, 1998

3 in SL · NE

(Boulenger, 1891)

Southern bumblebee catfish, Dwarf marbled catfish

4.5 in SL · LC

Malabarba & Mahler, 1998

3.5 in TL · LC

Shibatta & Benine, 2005

1.5 in SL · LC

Gomes, 1946

Bumblebee catfish, South American bumblebee catfish

2.5 in TL · NE

Shibatta, 2016

1.5 in SL · LC

Mori & Shibatta, 2006

Bumblebee catfish

1.5 in SL · LC

Jarduli & Shibatta, 2013

1 in SL · DD

Shibatta, 2014

1.5 in SL · LC

Bertaco & Cardoso, 2005

Dwarf marbled catfish

2 in SL · NT

Ottoni, Mattos & Barbosa, 2010

1 in SL · LC

Bizerril & Perez-Neto, 1992

Dwarf bumblebee catfish

2 in SL · DD

Terán, Jarduli, Alonso, Mirande & Shibatta, 2016

2 in SL · VU

Ruiz & Shibatta, 2011

1 in SL · DD

(Steindachner, 1880)

3 in SL · NE

Sarmento-Soares, Martins-Pinheiro, Aranda & Chamon, 2006

1.5 in SL · NE

Mees, 1978

2.5 in SL · LC

Mattos, Ottoni & Barbosa, 2013

1.5 in SL · NE

Eigenmann, 1912

Dwarf marbled catfish

3 in SL · LC

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Microglanis. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/microglanis/

← All Catfish