...the first thing I look at for a quick ID is the body shape, long and lean like Microsynodontis polli or Microsynodontis batesii ...or stout body like Microsynodontis sp(1) ....then I go to the pattern of the caudal...each species is quite individual. After that then you have to get into staring ...

Cheers Eric! Much appreciated. I find it difficult to tell them apart. Might it be possible that they are wrongly identified on Scotcat also? It would be so much easier if suppliers we able to be more precise about where the fish came from. If it really comes from Cameroon it should be batesii ...

Thank Eric for your detailed reply. Youre probably right. I was looking at the pictures of batesii on Scotcat http://www.scotcat.com/mochokidae/m_batesii6.htm and thought they looked similar but I was being too hopeful I guess!
Thanks again. Regards, Andre

One supplier is currently selling this as Microsynodontis Cameroon / M batesii. If the fish is really sourced from Cameroon then it ought to be batesii...



Could this be the one??

Hi Birger Many thanks for your response. I just googled the distribution of these species. Both Synos you suggested exist in DR Congo where M. Polli also can be found so that could tie in with what I was told about this juvenile syno coming in as a contaminant with the pollis. Took a few more pics ...

Hi there I just bought this little catfish from Wildwoods who received it as part of a shipment of wild Microsynodontis polli. Does anybody know what species it might be?? Thanks for your help! Regards Andre http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o640/killi69/20140823_162758-1_zpstxomunny.jpg http ...

A friend of mine runs a small business importing fish and got them in especially for me. I think he still has some of these Garras left over. Contact kewaquatics@hotmail.co.uk if you are interested. I keep a 5x2x2 planted community tank with various fish which occur in Cameroon. It started off as a ...

Thank you Silurus. That would be good news for me if they are G. ornata, as I try to keep a Community tank for Cameroon fish only, and G. congoensis does not appear in Cameroon, whereas G. ornata does. Still find it very difficult to tell them apart. In some of my pics they look more like ornata, in ...

Compare the first pic of G. Ornata to my pics and a photo of Garra_congoensis published oon loaches online

Thanks for your reply.

I agree they are not G lancrenonensis.

Could you tell from the pics whether they are G. congoensis or ornata?

i find it quite hard to tell whether they have this 'deeper body'.

Regards

Andre

I ordered some Garras for my Cameroon tank from a Congo shipment labled as 'Garra lancrenonensis'. When they arrived, it was obvious they were far too big to be lancrenonensis, which according to Fishbase grow only to about an inch http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=12696 ...

Hi Silurus,

Thank you for the prompt response, much appreciated.

One day I will post a batesii pic here!

Thanks again, regards,

Andre

Hi there, Another pic from another supplier, with the same question from me; could this be M. batesii?? At first glace, it looks to me like M sp.1 but I hope I might be wrong! Please let me know. Your expert advice is much appreciated, as always. Thank you in advance,regards, Andre http://i1151 ...

Cheers Richard. I will contact Steve next month and keep you updated.

In the meantime, if anyone has any other suggestions, please do get in touch.

Thank you all, regards,

Andre

Just called Tropical Waters in Birmingham but they have all sold out. Steve is out of the country until then end of the month and will follow up with them then to see if there is anything they can do. In the meantime, the search goes on - please anyone with contacts or ideas of how i can obtain ...

Thanks Richard for keeping up with the suggestions. Neil at Pier Aquatics was very helpful but as you can see from the above, the fish he got sent turned out to be pollis after all.

I will chase up your Birmingham contact and let you know the outcome.

Thanks again,

Andre

How frustrating.

Thank you for the feedback Silurus.

Hi guys,

I keep on trying; is this another polli??? Someone bought them in for me as a batesii...


Many thanks! Regards,
Andre

Many thanks for the contact! Much appreciated. I will give him a call. Regards, Andre

Hi there, Thanks for your feedback so far. I am still trying hard to track down some M. batesii but no luck so far. Would anyone know of a supplier who might be able to source some?? I am based in UK but travel regularly to Holland so am looking for a supplier in either country or one willing to ...

Could these be the real article?? M. batesii currently listed in a Dutch LFS. Can you guys tell if they really are batesii??

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species they can be found in Angola, Cameroon, Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/181678/0

Thanks again Jippo. What a nuisance as all the other fish I have in there are from Cameroon. I am trying to buy more batesii to create a group of about ten of them but every time I think I have found a shop that say they have them, their batesiis turn out to be pollis upon further investigation! I ...

I have a horrible feeling that two M. batesii I bought earlier from another store and have already introduced into my tank might well be M. polli as well... http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o640/killi69/20131209_193758_zps5685c9b3.jpg http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/o640/killi69/20131209 ...

Thanks for your feedback. Regards, Andre

Hi there, A local LFS has some fish on their stocklist labelled as M. batesii but staff there are not sure whether they are batesii or polli. Would anyone be able to tell from this (poor) photograph the shop sent me? I am interested in batesii only for my Cameroon tank. Any help much appreciated ...