Erethistes jerdoni

Scientific name: Erethistes jerdoni Day, 1870

Erethistes jerdoni is a freshwater fish of the family Erethistidae that grows to about 3.8 cm (1.5 in). It is moderate to keep and peaceful, suits community aquariums and needs a tank of at least 40 L (11 US gal), water at 18–24°C (64–75°F) and a pH of 5.6–7.6. Native range: Asia, India and Bangladesh.

Erethistes jerdoni care at a glance

Care level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Community tank: Good
Adult size: 3.8 cm (1.5 in)
Minimum tank: 40 L (11 US gal)
Temperature: 18–24°C (64–75°F)
pH: 5.6–7.6
Hardness: 8–15 dGH (143–268 ppm)
Diet: Omnivore

Biology

Occurs in slow-moving hill streams with sandy bottom, rivers and beels. A very sluggish fish.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Erethistes jerdoni
Family: Erethistidae (South Asian river catfishes)
Order: Siluriformes (Catfish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 3.8
Common length: 2.5
Environment: Freshwater;; pH range: 7.0 - ?; dH range: 8 - 15 demersal
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Asia: India and Bangladesh.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: of no interest

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.

Last updated 28 September 2026