New Giraffe Cat

Greggo · Post by **Greggo** » 27 Oct 2004, 02:03

Here's a new giraffe cat I have. Note the interesting mottled pattern on its head and back and the rows of black spots on its side which is different from the normal reticulated pattern. Also, the red eyes are not redeye from the flash. It is about 6".

This was exported by the Zambian based collector on Lake Tanganyika. Supposedly it is from the lake. I'm not sure of the exact location, but am enquiring to find out.

Post by **Dinyar** » 27 Oct 2004, 15:30

Cool fish, Greg. Unfortunately, given its adult size, only a fish for someone with your knowledge and big tanks!

Always fascinated to see the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) interspecific variations within endemic Tang catfish species, as also the variations between Tang and riverine populations of non-endemic catfish (such as your captioned giraffe).

We talk of "melting pots", but L. Tang is a "morphing pot", and not just for cÃ®chlids. I've read a few explanations (cf. Barlow) for high rates of cÃ®chlid speciation in general, but still have not fully satisfied my curiosity as to why L. Tang is the morphing pot that it is.

I used to be somewhat sceptical of radical taxonomic splitists, but have come around to the view that the molecular genetic evidence may eventually vindicate their position in many cases. I would not be surprised if many current African catfish species with broad distributions (e.g., both L. Tang and the Congo basin) are eventually reclassified as distinct species (just as Malapteruridae went from 1-2 to some 20 species).

Would love to see some bigger pix of your giraffe!

Dinyar

bunjiweb · Post by **bunjiweb** » 27 Oct 2004, 19:00

Dont these guys get to 3/4 of a meter?

Very jealous, a very nice catfish

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 27 Oct 2004, 20:46

nice one!
maybe this one is the elusive Auchenoglanis guttatus?

or is that a synonym of A occidentalis?

I've seen pics of Giraffenoses from the lake made by Ad Konings, and they look much more like yours than mine (I have the regular reticulated variety).

but mine could be from anywhere, I have a strong hunch it's just the riverine variety.

now here's the 1000$ question....wich one gets really big; the lacustrine or the riverine?
I mean; there's lengths between 40-100 cm for this species; of course I'm hoping for the first; then I can keep mine, as it is one of the show-offs in the tank, very tame and currently the biggest fish.

this is the NONO

hope he won't eat up all the bandwidth; I'm really bad at anything even remotely to do with editing pix or dumping them on the web; and shutterfly screws up all the pix....

Post by **Silurus** » 27 Oct 2004, 20:50

maybe this one is the elusive Auchenoglanis guttatus?

Sid, there is no such thing as Auchenoglanis guttatus.

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 27 Oct 2004, 21:01

damn, I really messed up then.

I meant punctatus, really. the one with the mottled head.....

Post by **Silurus** » 27 Oct 2004, 21:09

Auchenoglanis punctatus is now in Parauchenoglanis (see Geerinckx et al., 2004).

Greggo · Post by **Greggo** » 29 Oct 2004, 21:26

Here is another shot that shows its entire length:

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 30 Oct 2004, 09:22

The second pic of Auchenoglanis punctatus looks a LOT like your fish; except that one has more spots on the side, and the tail cannot be viewed (and the eyes are darker; stress? or a bad picture? or still another species?)

your pic is much better than the aqualog-pic

the first pic in that link (another aqualog pic) looks like a mottled Giraffe-cat (occidentalis), maybe a run-of-the-mill aqualog screw-up?

you got it from a Laske Tanganyika import? was it solitary, or came it with a shipment of more 'ordinary' Giraffenoses from the lake?

HH, if that's true about punctatus being Parauchenoglanis; the catelog needs an update!

Greggo · Post by **Greggo** » 30 Oct 2004, 14:14

Sid, you are right. It does look exactly like the Aqualog photo of A. punctatus. The only problem is that Aqualog states that A. punctatus' size is 7-8 cm. Mine is already 15 cm. My fish is showing a number of mood patterns. It ranges from brownish orange (upset or frightened) to whitish (foraging through the sand). My two photos show the different moods.

My fish came in a shipment with 8 other "giraffe cats" that all look the same ranging in size from 15-20 cm. They were collected by this exporter:

http://www.acaquaculture.com

Post by **Silurus** » 30 Oct 2004, 14:21

Except that your fish is NOT A. punctatus (Aqualog screwed up again).

This is Auchenoglanis (now Parauchenoglanis) punctatus:

It's one of the short snouted species that would be called a dwarf giraffe cat in the aquarium trade.

Greggo · Post by **Greggo** » 30 Oct 2004, 14:53

HH, do you think that the max size of 8 cm for P. punctatus listed in Aqualog could be an error? Or do I have a new species?

Thanks

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 30 Oct 2004, 15:08

Greggo, seems to me you have a true Auchenoglanis, not a Parauchenoglanis at all.

I think you have a tankbuster on your hands; like I have. better prepare for a fish that will grow to 'Koi-carp-size"....
It has all the morphological marks of a true Giraffenose; except the coloration of course.
New species? location variety?
Auchenoglanis sp "Zambia"? or A cf occidentalis?

the P punctatus shown by HH does look a lot like other Paraucheno's; rounded tailfin without lobes, stretched body without a high sloping forehead (instead it's a gentle slope, not unlike good ol' Anaspidoglanis), and very typical are the vertical lines of spots on the body.

Both the Aqualog and the catelog need an update;
that second species of Giraffenose-cat should be "sp" or something (I let the ichthyologists fight over this one

), and the picture shown by HH in this post should come up if you click the link on P punctatus.....

And I don't think there's ANY species of Auchenoglanis, Parauchenoglanis or Anaspidoglanis that only reaches 8cm....must have been a youngster used as a holotype or something.
I'm not sure of course, but AFAIK these things reach at least 15 cm or more (more like anything between 20 cm and up, way up); the nice for 8cm and smaller catfishes in African rivers is more in the Amphilius/Leptoglanis/Microsynodontis-league.

Mika · Post by **Mika** » 31 Oct 2004, 09:46

Found these from Fishbase.Hope they helps.
A. occidentalis

Post by **Silurus** » 31 Oct 2004, 10:37

Young A. occidentalis are said to have a row of 7-8 spots on the sides of the body. Based on this, I'd say you have A. occidentalis. Note that the picture of the young A. occidentalis in the Cat-eLog is actually that of a young A. biscutatus (some of the other pics also show A. biscutatus).