This species has been reported from the Seruyan River drainage eastwards to the Kahayan river drainage in southern Borneo. It has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 28,300 km² and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 3,270 km². The habitat of this species (blackwater peat swamp and heath forests) has undergone large scale destruction and degradation due to logging, plantation agriculture (primarily oil palm plantation), and channelisation, with a loss of up to 50% being projected within the next 10 years. A population decline of about 25% due to habitat degradation and loss is projected within the next ten years. Therefore, Clarias intermedius is assessed as Near Threatened, nearly meeting criterion A3c.

This species has been reported from the Seruyan River drainage eastwards to the Kahayan river drainage in southern Borneo (Teugels et al. 2001). Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated to be 28,300 km², based on a minimum convex polygon that delineates blackwater habitats in the Seruyan River drainage eastwards to the Kahayan river drainage and its area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be no more than 3,270 km², based on the available area of suitable habitat (peat swamp forests) in the known distribution of this species (Miettinen et al. 2016).

Total population size is unknown. However, its primary habitat (peat swamp forests) has undergone massive anthropogenic destruction and degradation, with a projected loss of about 50% within the next 30 years (Wijedasa et al. 2018). As a result, its population trend is projected to decline by about 25% within the next 10 years following a business-as-usual scenario in current deforestation rates.

This species inhabits blackwater habitats (swamps, streams, rivers) associated with peat swamp forests. The water in such habitats is very soft, highly acidic (pH ~3-4), and heavily stained with tannins (H.H. Ng pers. comm. 2019). It has been collected in areas co-inhabited by Clarias meladerma, suggesting a potentially similar ecology to this close congener (Teugels et al. 2001). However, the use of other habitats has not been well studied and further information is required regarding basic ecology and life history.

The primary habitat of this species (blackwater peat swamp forests) has undergone large scale destruction and degradation (Yule 2010) which includes the loss of blackwater peat swamps due to logging, water diversion by way of canal drainages, and plantation agriculture (Yule 2010, Mietinnen et al. 2011, 2016, F. Van Veen pers. comm. 2019).

This species is utilised in subsistence fisheries (H.H. Ng pers. comm. 2019), but the extent of harvest is unknown.

More information on the distribution, habitat specificity, biology, population size and trend, and the current and potential threats to this species is needed. The distribution of this species may include at least one protected area, but more sampling is needed to confirm this (F. Van Veen pers. comm. 2019).