Sold as a Synodontis Longitrosris but I am not sure...

[TDSapp]

A few months back I bought a couple cats at a LFS here in the Dallas Texas area. It was labeled as Synodontis Longitrosris and my wife liked them so we bought two of them. I have seen the profiles here (

Synodontis longirostris

) and the photos are close but not quite what I have.

I got them back in April and they were around 1/2 an inch and would swim across the glass like synchronized swimmers. Then they hid and I did not see them for a few days. I thought they had died but they came back out... Now it's not unusual to see them out during the day but they really come out at night time. They are getting bigger faster than my other fish... I would say they are around 3 inches now.

I would like to know if they are S. Longitrosris or if I have something else.

Here is a photo from a month ago...



The only thing that I see as weird is the ridge right above the pectoral fin behind the gills. It is not on any of the photos in the profile. It's on both of my cats and it's on both sides of the fish.

Tim

[Richard B]

This is certainly not longirostris - it is a man-made hybrid variety

[TDSapp]

Any idea on what it is a cross of? I am trying to figure out what the "possible" max size might be. I have two of these in a 55 gallon tank with my Chilids. I am worried that they might out grow the tank. While I am planning on building a big tank in the next year so, I really wanted it to be a saltwater tank and not have to house a couple of 2' catfish.

I about panicked when I saw that the Longitrosis could get up to 23". I thought that most of the Synodontis were smaller catfish... Boy was I wrong. I have no idea how long a Synodontis type cat grows but if they grow for two years at the same rate they have been, I am looking at somewhere from 15 to 18 inches. Even with that I am looking at having to move them into a larger tank. I figure that I am going to end up with a 125 for freshwater soon enough. I just hope we will be able to keep the guys and not have to give them to someone else.


Tim

[Birger]

Hard to say just how big it could get but a safe bet would be about the size of

Synodontis euptera

or

Synodontis ocellifer

Birger

[Richard B]

Birger's suggestion is both intelligent & accurate IMHO

[synodont_fan]

Several years ago I bought a few catfish sold as Synodontis longirostris. They turned out to be hybrids. I still have them and they are about 6-7 inches long. Not as cute as when they were small, but not bad looking fish. As adults, mine all have basic brown body color with scattered small black spots. However, one displays the weak dorsal spine that seems to be common in hybrids, and another has the sunken forehead also often seen in hybrids.