Synodontis sp aff petricola dwarf

[Yann]

Hi all!

I received over the week-end 7 young 1'' Synodontis sp aff petricola "dwarf".

I noticed that the overall body coloration is really different form individual to another.
Some have more of a greyish background colour, other are more brown and other are more lght brown...
Have you noticed such differences!!??

Because of the size I doubt this is sex related...

Any thought??!!

Cheers
Yann

[sidguppy]

nope.

I've seen hundreds of them little buggers and they're all a very contrasting black-grey-white in blotches, spots and finpatterns.
never saw any brown baby-dwarf (old ones of some forms may get a bit brownish; see catelog), although occasionally a specimen where the white is more ivory-yellow turns up.
And sometimes the grey is quite silvery.

can you post pics? you might have hybrids on your hands; they show up more and more.
And I DID see a brownish, blackspotted hybrid sold as petricola in stores the last year or so.....

Most of the time, the fins are a giveaway: petricola babies have very conspicious dorsal, pectoral and tailfins; all are jetblack with the white margin on the spine (dorsal and pectoral) or on the outer finrays (caudal).
Next to that; baby petricola's have very very white whiskers, it's like these 'glow' in the dark!

In old individuals this may get blurred, darkened or grey instead of clear white; but not in a tiny youngster. it should be very clear.

[worton[pl]]

does sp aff=cf. ? or sp aff means something different?
TIA

[Silurus]

does sp aff=cf. ? or sp aff means something different?
TIA

It's explained here (maybe this should be made an FAQ).

[Rickzfish]

I have been raising Syno Petricola for quite some time, the parents being WC, and there fry usually all look the same. However, I do get light coloured and even white/pearl coloured ones in every other batch. They are somewhat blotchy in appearance until about 1 month or so, if they live as they seem weaker than the rest, and then slowly begin to change to resemble the rest of their siblings. As they mature, I still have some that have a more beige coloured background but same spot markings and definetly very white wiskers, with white leading edges to the pectoral and dorsal fins. Post some pictures if you want a more conclusive answer.

[Yann]

Hi!

I'll try to post a pic...

When they were in the bottle (I don't use bags anymore) they were all quite the same.
One has especially turn pretty brown and dark, probably a stress reaction.

The parents of these are WC as well...

THe brown is pretty light colour a bit like coffee with loads of milk...

Some as that sort of ivory colour you are talking about!

Other than that, the fins and whiskers have the typical white edge...

Cheers
Yann

[Yann]

Hi!

Here is a picture of one of the young, it isn't actually one of mine but it comes from the same batch...


thanks to Estelle for letting me use her pic.

Cheers
Yann

[sidguppy]

looks like a nice baby dwarf to me!

don't see much 'brown' in there, though.

[Rickzfish]

Yup have to agree, looks like my young ones! Good pic too.

[Yann]

Hi!

Here is another picture, still from the same batch (maybe one of these is now swimming here at home)

Thanks at "Les 2 Chris" to let me use their pic

Cheers
Yann

[worton[pl]]

great picture :D now I know how baby petricola "dwarf" looks like. It's good because I ordered in my LFS bunch of petricolas and I dont want to buy hybrids anymore :D
May I ask how big fish on picture abova are?

[Yann]

Hi!

They are around 1''-1.5'' 2.5-3.5cm

Cheers
Yann

[worton[pl]]

thanks :)
I purchased a little (about 1 inch) synodontis eupterus, this guy is cute :D and tomorrow my petricolas should arrive :D