Representing Planet Catfish while I...

[Narelle]

..teach!

When I got my Planet Catfish shirt from @Jools at the All-Aquarium Catfish Convention, I was told to take pictures in it doing "something cool."

I'll do many more cool things, but for a start, I thought teaching the lab for my advisor's ichthyology course might count?

This week was Otophysan week, or as I called it, Catfish Week. I wasn't able to get as many pictures as I hoped (I had a harder time wrangling a photographer than I expected) but I do have a couple of me going through my powerpoint slides before we got out the specimens:

I was really wanting some with the students and the fishes, but I'm not sure the person that agreed to help me during the lecture part realized I didn't just want pictures of me and the slides. Maybe I can get more exciting pictures next time!

(None of the photos from the slides are mine.)

[bekateen]

Awesome! Keep it up !

Cheers, Eric

[Jools]

That definitely counts as cool in my book! Bright start to the day for me.

Jools

[Shane]

Love it!
-Shane

[Viktor Jarikov]

Lovely touch!

[Narelle]

...visit the research collection at the Academy on Natural Sciences in Philadelphia!

I was visiting to look at a type specimen for the poeciliids I'm working on, but they have so many beautiful bagrid specimens that I had to take a peek at while I was here. I'll have to come back to examine the bagrids more seriously.

This is me in my preferred habitat, in the Bagridae section.

[img missing, editing...]
So many catfishes in here!

I was most excited to see the Nanobagrus. I knew they were supposed to be super small but its different to see it in life. They're so tiny!

I should have taken more serious photos of them, but here's some quick shots in my hand for scale:

Nanobagrus nebulosus

Nanobagrus immaculatus

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This is where they keep the bagrid type specimens!

I took a break from the specimens to poke around the public facing part of the museum, which is really nice too.

I really liked this display about the All Catfish Species Inventory.

[img missing, editing...]
Here I am with my host for the visit, Dr. Mark Sabaj. He pulled out this gorgeous Rita skull for our photo. (Another pic of that neurocranium below.)

It was really great getting to talk catfishes and science with Dr. Sabaj! He said he knows many catfish hobbyists (he talked about field sampling with @Jools and what a big deal PlanetXingu was), so I think maybe many of you know him?

Here's that Rita skull closeup:
[img missing, editing...]
Lateral view of the neurocranium, plus weberian apparatus and the dorsal pterygiophores with their nuchal plates.

(I'm off to a conference next to talk about my poeciliid work. Busy and exciting fishy trip!)

[Silurus]

A different collection with possibly just as many bagrids. Jools may recognize the catfish prints. Those are originals from Bleeker’s Atlas Ichthyologique.

[Jools]

Brilliant - Mark is a fun guy on a collecting trip and a master of the field hammock. A few warm evenings we spent on the Xingu as I was tying twine labels to fishes...

Seems like you had a lot of fun looking around - that must have been a big

Rita

. Also, that counter is at least one out with new cory description! Makes me think about putting a similar thing on here.

@Silurus - yes, lovely - which establishment is this? My Bloch originals are amongst my most prized possessions.

Cheers,

Jools

[Silurus]

@Silurus - yes, lovely - which establishment is this?

https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/

[Narelle]

A different collection with possibly just as many bagrids. Jools may recognize the catfish prints. Those are originals from Bleeker’s Atlas Ichthyologique.

Is this an invitation?

Brilliant - Mark is a fun guy on a collecting trip and a master of the field hammock. A few warm evenings we spent on the Xingu as I was tying twine labels to fishes...

Seems like you had a lot of fun looking around - that must have been a big

Rita

. Also, that counter is at least one out with new cory description! Makes me think about putting a similar thing on here.

It really was a great visit. I'll definitely have to return when I'm ready to examine the bagrids seriously for my dissertation research. Dr. Sabaj is a cool dude.

I liked the counter too, I agree it would be neat to have one here! It made me immediately feel fired up to describe a bunch of new catfishes!

[Silurus]

Is this an invitation?

You're always welcome to drop by. The 14-hour flight would be worth your while, trust me.

[racoll]

There's no shortage of bagrids here in London. You're welcome any time!

[Narelle]

@Silurus @racoll I will absolutely come visit you both to see those bagrids! (And collect some..)
Just need to get settled at the new university first. And apply for some grants.

(I'm off to a conference next to talk about my poeciliid work. Busy and exciting fishy trip!)

The conference was also great, my talk went well. Not catfishes and not in the right shirt, but here's a pic anyways:

I didn't remember to take pictures as much at the conference, so I don't have any from the day I wore my PC shirt again. (It was the last day and I was a zombie by then.)

I met @BomNya and we took a picture:

(Still not the right shirt for this thread though.)

I had a great time chatting about fishes with you!


Theres also a few pics of me with the new lab floating around. Hopefully the lab won't mind if I share one, since this one is already on twitter:

[Silurus]

Dang, Prosanta’s looking real sharp with the beard.

[Narelle]

I originally didn't attach my images in my post about visiting ANSP (whoops) and where I hosted them apparently doesn't host them long term. I seem to have hit a cap for the number of images I could put in the ANSP post, so here's the ones that went missing:

...visit the research collection at the Academy on Natural Sciences in Philadelphia!

[...]

So many catfishes in here!

[...]

This is where they keep the bagrid type specimens!

[...]

Here I am with my host for the visit, Dr. Mark Sabaj. He pulled out this gorgeous Rita skull for our photo. (Another pic of that neurocranium below.)

It was really great getting to talk catfishes and science with Dr. Sabaj! He said he knows many catfish hobbyists (he talked about field sampling with Jools and what a big deal PlanetXingu was), so I think maybe many of you know him?

Here's that Rita skull closeup:

Lateral view of the neurocranium, plus weberian apparatus and the dorsal pterygiophores with their nuchal plates.

[...]

[Kirin]

Definitely no shortage, I remember sorting through Bagrus, not sure I finished either. The size of some of those fishes.

There's no shortage of bagrids here in London. You're welcome any time!

PXL_20240711_172947375.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg

PXL_20240711_173030634.PORTRAIT~2.jpg

[Silurus]

Bagrids! Bagrids! Bagrids!
Some of the labels were written by me.

[Narelle]

Bagrids! Bagrids! Bagrids!
Some of the labels were written by me.

Can't wait to come see them! The Nanobagrus!!
We should also go catch some more to add to the collection whenever I make it there.