Kryptopterus cryptopterus (Bleeker, 1851)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Kryptopterus cryptopterus (blue sheatfish) is a species of catfish, the type species of the genus Kryptopterus. It can be distinguished from all its congeners, with the exception of the newly split Kryptopterus geminus, by the almost flat dorsal profile with no concavity behind the head. This species grows to a length of 14.6 centimetres (5.7 in) SL.
This distinctively shaped, translucent fish is found in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. Specimens from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam previously assigned to this species are now recognized as a separate species, K. geminus. K. cryptopterus can be distinguished from this close relative by its broader head, shorter snout, shorter anal fin and eyes located much more ventrally.
Wikipedia contributors, Kryptopterus cryptopterus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T22:56:45.541693+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Kryptopterus cryptopterus (Bleeker, 1851)
- Name authority
- (Bleeker, 1851)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Family
- Siluridae
- Genus
- Kryptopterus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderSiluriformes
- familySiluridae Rafinesque, 1815
- genusKryptopterus Bleeker, 1857
- speciesKryptopterus cryptopterus (Bleeker, 1851)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Kryptopterus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Kryptopterus baramensis Ng, 2002 | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus bicirrhis (Valenciennes, 1840) | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus geminus Ng, 2003 | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus hesperius Ng, 2002 | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus lais (Bleeker, 1851) | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus limpok (Bleeker, 1852) | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus minor Roberts, 1989 | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus mononema (Bleeker, 1846) | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus palembangensis (Bleeker, 1852) | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus paraschilbeides Ng, 2003 | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus vitreolus Ng & Kottelat, 2013 | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Kryptopterus schilbeides (Bleeker, 1858) | SiluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Kryptopterus micropus Bleeker, 1857 Bleeker, 1857 | synonym |
| Silurus cryptopterus Bleeker, 1851 Bleeker, 1851 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1026978 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3RF2Y. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.