Are my Synodontis petricola truly petricola, or lucipinnis?

garibaldi · Post by **garibaldi** » 23 May 2007, 08:08

I have had these fish for about two years. The females are about 4 inches long and the males 3 inches. When I bought them, they were sold as S. petricola. But now looking at the pages here, I'm wondering if they are really S. lucipinnis. They just spawned, and I have a few hundred hatching eggs (in a basket with fine mesh in the main tank).

Here are some pictures that will hopefully settle the ID.

First one:

Same fish, different view:

2nd fish:

juvenile (unknown age, 6 mo?, 1.5 inches):

ventral surface:

trio:

Thanks!!

Post by **Silurus** » 23 May 2007, 08:42

Yup, these are S. lucipinnis.

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 23 May 2007, 12:46

Lucipinnis without a shadow of a doubt.

If you aren't aware of the recent revision of tanganyikan synos, these were known for years as petricola "dwarf" so the retailer was at the time correct.

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 23 May 2007, 12:47

ps - can you please include your location in your details so we know where in the world you are?

garibaldi · Post by **garibaldi** » 23 May 2007, 13:13

Thanks very much for the ID. After looking at the pictures, I was pretty sure they were lucipinnis just because of the number of spots (petricola seems to have about twice as many smaller spots). Are there any other things you look for in telling these apart?

I'm in Norman, Oklahoma.

Here are the eggs and fry. I need a different camera to get them completely in focus.

kwalker · Post by **kwalker** » 27 May 2007, 14:53

what are the magor differances between the 2?