Sold as Chocolate Rafael

[jollysue]

What are these little guys? They are very handsome. They are still small: at the most a couple of inches. I got 5. Should I get more or take them back?

[Dave Rinaldo]

How about

Platydoras costatus

[jollysue]

ok. LOL

I'll check it out.

Should I keep them?

[jollysue]

Here is some face time.

These guys get scary and not so cute as adults! LOL And a little bigger than I would choose. I have to think about this one.

Thanks Dave Rinaldo

[Bas Pels]

I got 3, almost 20 years now (got them in 1989). They are around 8 inches, and still very cute

I would not like to miss them, but luckily most catfish have long lives. They still don't show any sign of old age

[Silurus]

Actually, these should now be identified as

Platydoras armatulus

. The real P. costatus doesn't look lmuch ike this and is almost never encountered in the aquarium trade.

[Bas Pels]

The P armatus picture show a fish with a white lateral line, while the P costatus pictures show fishes with yellow lines.

Apparently this does not have any significance for identification? Mine are 20 cm (larger than P costatus is supposed to get) but still with yellow lines (although 1 has very thin lines, and another has very broad lines)

[Silurus]

The line color has nothing to do with identification. The real P. costatus has a very indistinct line (to the point that it is almost invisible), while the species with the broad pale stripes frequently encountered in the aquarium trade is P. armatulus.

[jollysue]

After viewing the catalogue pics and profiles, I was a little afraid these would turn ot to be P. armatulus and not P. costatus--let alone Chcocolate Rafaels. I may return them--cute as they are.

Thanks everyone.

BTW, have the pics been updated? If the id has changed and the P. costatus is seldom seen, are they accurately identified in the catalogue pics?

[MatsP]

It appears that the data is not updated in the Cat-eLog. I will post in the Bugs section, referring to this thread.

Edit: Dave Rinaldo beat me to it.

--
Mats

[Silurus]

Here is what the true P. costatus look like (picture from http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 14&t=24101).

[jollysue]

Looks like it will take time to get reasonable pics for that guy! That pic looks pretty well Photo Shopped.

I am still considering my options on this one. I want a dwarf, like my lucippinus. I like the markings and colors but not the size.

[MatsP]

Looks like it will take time to get reasonable pics for that guy! That pic looks pretty well Photo Shopped.

I am still considering my options on this one. I want a dwarf, like my lucippinus. I like the markings and colors but not the size.

Actually, I think that's a scan from a book or printout, but yes, it's not a great picture.

--
Mats

[jollysue]

Thanks again, all.