Hammerhead Catfish

[RickE]

Nothing to do with me but MA Wembley have one at £106. I'm posting because I've never seen one before and I thought it might be of interest. I think this has been tentatively identified as

Ageneiosus vittatus

in a previous thread from some years back.

[wrasse]

Interesting find Rick.
I like these fish. Not that I have room but I'd want 3 or maybe 4 for that money. So I guess it was big?

[Marc van Arc]

If it's big it could also be

Ageneiosus marmoratus

(don't be fooled by its juvenile pattern).
As an aside: where does the name "hammerhead catfish" come from?

[fishboy20]

These are starting to appear here in the US as well. I wish I had space for these very interesting catfish.

Jeremy

[RickE]

If it's big it could also be

Ageneiosus marmoratus

(don't be fooled by its juvenile pattern).
As an aside: where does the name "hammerhead catfish" come from?

It could easily be marmoratus. I couldn't see it very well as it had its back to me and was inside a clay pipe. I would guess TL was 5-6". In any case there are not many registered users for any of the

Ageneiosus

species, so I thought it might be of interest to someone.

I assume the name comes from the eye placement making it look a little like a hammerhead shark.

[Marc van Arc]

I assume the name comes from the eye placement making it look a little like a hammerhead shark.

Ah, so I take the shop made it up and not you.
Imho not the best choice, yet understandable as people who see my tank often ask me if the Ageneiosus species are some kind of sharks. Not just by looks, but also by the way they swim.

[sidguppy]

I think this is why these cats are so attractive and why unknowning hobbyists buy these not so easy to keep fish

keeping a real shark at home is impossible,
but sharks are hugely popular on TV and elsewhere like doing diving trips

going scuba diving with sharks is not accessible for everyone, but the next best thing is setting up a living room tank and put in "shark like fish", which turn out to be mostly catfish.

it's not a surprise why so many common aquarium fish have common names with "shark" in there; the Balantiocheilus barbs (Tinfoil Barb, but "shark finned barb" in Dutch!), the large African Labeo's (like the Harlequin Shark), the Asian Epalzeorhynchus species (Red tail Black Shark etc)....

turning to sharklike catfish, fish like

Pangasius sanitwongsei

,

Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

,

Ariopsis seemanni

,

Ageneiosus magoi

,

Synodontis granulosa

and the like sell like hot cakes.
some are common as dirt, some are very rare or cost an arm and a leg, but they all sell.

all of these have the undulating movement we see on TV when watching a shark themed show; almost all have a triangular dorsal and an overall general shaklike shape, some even have sharklike appetites...

unfortunately almost all of them have issues.
too big, too tricky with food, too fragile, horribly expensive, too salty.....