Wasp Catfish

About

Found in the clear, gravelly, fast-moving streams of the Ataran River drainage in Myanmar, this small Asian stream catfish, Akysis vespa, is sold in the hobby under a handful of vivid trade names including 'wasp catfish', 'orange micro bumblebee catfish', and 'Burmese orange mini bee catfish'. Those names give you the right mental image: a compact, brownish body marked with broad yellow-to-orange bands, with yellow pigmentation extending all the way to the base of the nasal barbels. A reported bright red variant exists, though it remains rare and is mostly known from photographs. Like all akysid catfishes, this species carries venom glands at the base of its dorsal and pectoral spines. Nothing dangerous to a healthy adult, but worth keeping in mind during maintenance or any time you need to move fish around a net. It is peaceful and somewhat shy, tolerating its own kind without trouble and coexisting happily with miniature schooling fish, smaller loaches, similarly-sized catfishes, and even freshwater shrimp. It should not share a tank with anything significantly larger or more assertive. Breeding has been documented, with a sharp temperature drop appearing to trigger spawning and fry developing adult patterning within just a few weeks. Intermediate care experience is recommended, largely because of the specific flow and substrate preferences tied to its stream-dwelling origins.