What is my fish??? Synodontis of some kind....

scolba · Post by **scolba** » 08 Feb 2005, 01:59

Good evening!! I am pretty new to fish keeping, but am learning relatively quickly.

Right now, I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 Electric Yellow Hap's, 1 Kenyi, 2 Spotted Sailfin Pleco's, and the mystery cat.

I love catfish, but didn't know what kind to get. When researching online, I came across the synodontis multipunctatus and decided thats what I was going to get. After looking all over locally, I finally found a shop that had one!!!! At least the tag said Synodontis Multipunctatus. I was so excited to find one that I focused on the tag, as opposed to the actual fish (it was the 5th store that day).

When I got it home and in the tank and watching him swim, I started to realize, uh...thereisn't any white on the fins!!! So I pull out Dr. Axlerod's big book and get to looking, but I can't figure out what this fish is.

So here is the pic. Its not very good, but he likes to hide while I'm around. There is a Sailfin Pleco in the background...thats not part of him.

He has a white belly like the multipunctatus, but the caudal fin has vertical spots in a stripe pattern, and no white on the fins.

So can anybody tell me what it is????? Synodontis Scolbazi?

lol

Post by **Silurus** » 08 Feb 2005, 02:51

scolba · Post by **scolba** » 08 Feb 2005, 03:14

well then, i guess that settles that. I have some better pics of the mouth and barbels and such, but i guess i dont' need to post em, unless they want some for the cat-e-log...

Thanks for the quick info!!!

Any idea if it will live happily with my cichilds and the 2 multipunctatus i have ordered?? or should i order 3 multipunctatus and move the ocellifer?

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 08 Feb 2005, 13:54

It is a riverine species and ideally would like softer water / lower pH than multipunctatus. It can be aggressive with other synos. I once had one that declared war against a S. angelicus (and vice versa).

scolba · Post by **scolba** » 09 Feb 2005, 23:18

I just wanted to make sure this is actually a synodontis ocellifer with a few more (better) pics.

not that i doubt you guys, i just want to make sure. I really appreciate the help!

and the caudal fin...

Post by **Silurus** » 10 Feb 2005, 00:01

Yes, it is.

scolba · Post by **scolba** » 10 Feb 2005, 02:43

ok, so here another newbie question....when identifying these fish, what kind of things do you look for? I mean, coloration and pattern can vary, right? Are there other specifics to look for that never lie??

Thanks again!!

Chris · Post by **Chris** » 10 Feb 2005, 11:46

Hi I am fairly new to this as well and trying to puzzel my way through things. This link helped me:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworld/s_c_269.php

It is talking about hybrid catfish but it helps by pointing out some of the features people are talking about.

It also leads to some interesting questions from my perspective (I think my fish are hybrids). Your fish appears to have a bent dorsal spine (a hybrid feature) and, although its quite tough to tell from the photo, his eyes look quite coppery too (which is a rift valley thing but your fish has a lot of ravine freatures). Now I am no expert and like I said I am just learning so am willing to be corrected but I think your fish might be hybrid.

The other thing that I have noticed is that the fish in picture 4 of 6 of in the cat-elog also has a bent dorsal spine and more of a humped back than picture 5 of 6 or 1 of 6, has that cute little fella been currupted by the dark side too?

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 10 Feb 2005, 11:50

Chris,
I'm not saying you're wrong, but I think that HH (silurus) does know what he's talking about when he identifies the fish as a S. Ocellifer. He's the one that wrote the "How to spot a hybrid" article in Shane's world, so I suspec he'd say that it's a hybrid if he thought it was.

--
Mats

Chris · Post by **Chris** » 10 Feb 2005, 12:19

I reckon he's probably right too and as for the cat-elog I suspect if that was a fake then one of the 600 previous viewers would have (for want of a better pun) spotted it and it would have been taken off.

The thing that I am after is why am I wrong? I know that a lot of the hybrid features are just clues but is there something that I am not seeing? What makes this fish very definatly Synodontis ocellifer? Or just very definatly not a hybrid? Do you never really get a definate answer? With some hybrids having none of the 'hybrid' features and other species regularly showing 'hybrid' features despite being as pure as the driven snow.

ACE1 · Post by **ACE1** » 11 Feb 2005, 16:06

i have three of those and they are identical to yours Synodontis ocellifer

Fishy411 · Post by **Fishy411** » 14 Feb 2005, 23:31

I always identify Catfish by Body Shape, Fin shape and pattern. For example Yur Ocellifer has a Second Dorsal FIn (is it a fin?) that is shaped Like a ridge And that clearly Identifies it as Ocellifer. Also Pattern Plays a big Part

Post by **corybreed** » 14 Feb 2005, 23:48

Fishy411,

It is not a second dorsal fin, it is an adipose fin.

Mark

Fishy411 · Post by **Fishy411** » 15 Feb 2005, 00:43

corybreed wrote:Fishy411,

It is not a second dorsal fin, it is an adipose fin.

Mark

Oops. I didnt know what it was called so i went with a guess.