UFO - South America

[Redtailrob]

Recently picked up this stunning unusual South American cat.
Belived to be Brachyplatystoma species.....
But Im not so sure looks like Pinirampus Pirinampu to me??

[Silurus]

It's some kind of

Iheringichthys

, I believe.

[FerocactusLatispinus]

A P. pirinampu seems to have a much longer adipose fin. I may venture a guess, however, that you're very close with your idea of it being a Brachyplatystoma species. The only species with a seemingly long-enough adipose fin appears to me to be B. vaillantii. But definitely focus on the eyes in proportion to the body! An excellent find in any case and I wish you the best of successes!

[Viktor Jarikov]

Hey, Rob! Can you get several more shots and angles?

Unknown fish object? That's cute.

[Redtailrob]

Hey Victor /all.
Will do what I can? I dont have a working digital camera Only a phone camera which is pretty pants & the photo's it produces are usually low quality. This picture was taken for my whilst still in the Sellers tank.
This one has got me pretty stumped @ present. Its adipose looks too long as suggested to be P.Pinirampu but then it also has an extension to its Dorasl fin which is lacking in B. Vallianti. Not sure if the snout shape matches that of http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/Iheringichthys.
I'll get some more pictures up

[FerocactusLatispinus]

Ah! I thought that the dorsal fin's extension pictured was a barbel; it kind of seems to lead back to the front of the head. A barbel must just lead into and be hidden behind the dorsal extension; now that's trick photography!

I thought there was a filament on the dorsal fin. So the "dorsal extension" was an extension of the leading dorsal fin ray. I see now.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Here is mine I thought could have been B vaillantii but Silurus was right from the get-go, it is a Pimelodus albicans. I don't think yours is an albicans (because of all of those fin streamers, for one), just this thread reminded me of my case.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =+albicans

[Redtailrob]

Looks like we've narrowed it down to 3 potentials!

[Viktor Jarikov]

I think HH is right, he almost always is - it looks to me likely that it is

Iheringichthys labrosus

[Redtailrob]

I really don't think so, the snout is really broad! Not rounded like in these pictures at all. I'll try to get a picture of the fish face on over the weekend

[wayne the pain]

I'll go with a Brachyplatystoma vaillantii

[Redtailrob]

Some updated Pictures of said fish.

[Redtailrob]

And another, side on

[Viktor Jarikov]

What do you think of this one: same, different? http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... ost6485343

also this one: http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 86#p264586

[Viktor Jarikov]

The same or similar-looking example: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... is-Catfish

[FerocactusLatispinus]

Hmm... it looks as though the fish in question doesn't have more of a "hump" under the dorsal fin like in B. vaillantii. Yes, that extended dorsal fin ray also doesn't match up with the B. vaillantii's. Also, to me your fish's snout looks broader than a P. albicans'; definitely so with I. labrosus, but I have to say the P. albicans' snout comes close in some of the Cat-eLog's images.

I'd have to say a P. albicans looks like the best match, but correctly indentifying young fish is often unreliable. Same thing goes for young Ferocactus species!

[Viktor Jarikov]

The same or similar-looking example: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... is-Catfish

Another one: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... 1-Viewing)

[Redtailrob]

Spot on Viktor. Now my fish has grown on a little & filled out some more it looks virtually identical to the one in your suplied link. Im going with B.Vallianti.........for now!

[FerocactusLatispinus]

Another one: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... 1-Viewing)

Eeeschh! I'd hate to go snorkeling in the Amazon and run into one looking at me like that (I wouldn't want to snorkel there at night, definitely not). That catfish is just staring back, and looks like it's trying to size the camera up: my old P. pictus would do that to my corys and other fish too big to eat. He was a master at taking another fishes' Total Length! When he grew to 4" SL, he turned just plain vicious and territorial, charging my corys with his mouth actually gaping at them... not a happy cat. I was able to take him back to the LFS, but I miss those big Pimelodid eyes, long whiskers, and that "smiling" mouth.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Garniac provided an updated pic today, Nov 21 2013: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... er-not-yet

Looks like a Brachyplatystoma and is doing the signature brachy tripod stance.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Another vaillantii, presumably: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... -ID-Please

[FerocactusLatispinus]

I've been reviewing this post just today, and I realize I was off in my opinion as to the ID of this cool fish. I want to share some of my observations and give my personal verdict as to this cat's genus and species:

Regarding the image in the initial post. Is that "dorsal extension" a filament or a continuation of the ossified leading ray? It strikes me as rather rigid: looking closely, it seems to me that the right maxillary barbel passes behind that "extension", with the "extension" transecting it and creating a very acute angle with the same barbel (2D perception); that large, ossified leading ray seems like a consistent P. albicans characteristic.

Regarding the third posted image, the caudal peduncle seems to have a more angular shape, the dorsal containing a greater mass, as is seen here: http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/down ... &mode=view; whereas in this P. albicans, its peduncle's upper and lower lobes (and the rays' basal integument and muscles) are seemingly equivalent: http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/ima ... e_id=14733.

The second image posted shows the length of the two ossified pectoral fin rays to be shorter than their succeeding rays; here, http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/ima ... e_id=15081, the leading pectoral rays are slightly longer than the first soft rays; however, this P. albicans is also a sub-adult as compared to the fish-in-question, which looks somewhat like the juvenile B. vaillantii seen here: http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/ima ... ge_id=6633.

Most prominent, the dorsal profile of this fish is also quite depressed and elongate when compared to a P. albicans'.

I initially thought it might be a B. vaillantii, but the "dorsal extension" changed that in favor of P. albicans, but most of the fish's characteristics point to a B. vaillantii. After all this, I now believe this fish to be a "brachy", Brachyplatystoma vaillantii, rather than a "pimmy".


*If you're wondering, my usage of technical terms is really due to my studying of Dr. Warren Burgess', An Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes. It's a terrific book that goes through each of the Siluriforme's 32 families! I highly recommend it!!

*The several edits are mostly punctuation, sorry 'bout that!

[Silurus]

I was wondering why

Duopalatinus peruanus

was not considered at all as a possible ID.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Thanks HH. I see the likeness. I think the OP fish and others, which I linked in the foregoing, are well over the (current?) 6" SL max but I cannot be 100% sure. So little is reported on this catfish. It may indeed grow larger, no?

[Viktor Jarikov]

Couple more recent cases of vaillantii identity crises:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... -d.673058/

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... st-7565844 - this one looks closer to Rob's fish imho.