[3] It was described by Patricia J. Kailola in 1990, originally under the genus Arius.

[1] It inhabits freshwater bodies in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

[3] Its diet includes finfish, detritus, terrestrial invertebrates, and caridean shrimp such as those in the genus Macrobrachium.

It reaches a maximum weight of 1.7 kg (3.7 lb).

It is closely related to Neoarius leptaspis, and is frequently mistaken for it.