Beautiful, but are they true petricola?

[terrylen]

Hi again, thanks so much for the advice ive been given previously
Im nearly sure that these are real petricolas not hybrids but im still a bit inexperienced and id like to check. Either way these are up at the top of my favorites (with my chocolate zebras being my other) lol im going to check in a couple of dayys when i get some pics of the choc zebras mainly because when i got them the guy said they where leopard frog plecs!
But here are some pics of the petricolas

[MatsP]

I'm pretty sure it's

Synodontis lucipinnis

- a fish that is most often sold as S. petricola because the former only got named about 4 years ago. The key to identification is the smaller spots on the head compared to the body spots. On true S. petricola, the spots are the same size all over the body.

However, it is a genuine species, not a hybrid.

--
Mats

[Birger]

The key to identification is the smaller spots on the head compared to the body spots. On true S. petricola, the spots are the same size all over the body.

Slight correction...the spots on the body are of a uniform size yes, but they should also get smaller on the head and much more numerous than in S. lucipinnis.

Birger

[terrylen]

Hi - so does that mean that they are petricola?

[Birger]

If I had to chose right now I would say S.lucipinnis, that being based on the spots on the head and body being not that numerous...but they still are small and very hard to discern visually at this size even for the experienced...if you grow them out more it would help.

Birger

[terrylen]

Thanks Birger.
Either way I love these wee fish . they seem to be completely fearless and always active!