What Syno am I? Or am I something else..........

[Tracey]

I've been trying to figure out what this guy is for quite a while now, and I haven't been able to find a Syno that matches I even wondered if maybe he was a Mystus leucophasis, but he doesn't seem to match that either...... I'm suspecting hybrid but I'd like your ideas as well. Sorry its a crappy pic, he's not very cooperative

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/albu ... pic_id=681

[MatsP]

It's definitely a

Synodontis

species, but which one, I couldn't tell...

--
Mats

[Silurus]

Possibly

Synodontis zambezensis

or

Synodontis frontosus

.

[grahams]

From the colouring of the fish i`m going for Synodontis Bastiani/Euberneensis(junior synonym).Do you have any more details about it such as size etc?

[redzebra24]

syno yes

[Tracey]

He/she is around 10 to 11" TL, thats only a guess as this is not what you'd call a cooperative fish when it comes to getting close to it Body is one colour, no sign of any patterning, although the tail fin does show a pattern somewhat like that of an Eupterus. Anything else you'd like to know that might help?

[grahams]

Tracy, can I suggest you visit http://www.aquarticles.com. Look for an article headed "the Ivory Synodontis" by David Marshall.He is a well known U.K. Syno` enthusiast.This is an article about S. Bastiani and there is a reasonable photograph of it which looks to be very similar to your fish.Let us know what you think.

[Tracey]

Very interesting article, Grahams, thanks for the link However, it mentioned a dark spot just behind the gills on the Bastiani which my fish doesn't have. The juvenile behaviour mentioned, in particular the charging out at full speed then tearing around spooking everyone, is just like him, though

I forgot to mention one other thing, he has pale/white edging on his pectoral and dorsal fin which isn't very visible in the pic I posted.

[grahams]

You`ve certainly got me baffled with this one.I`ve been through my Aqualog African Catfish Photo Collection Album and CD-ROM but have come up with nothing more.I have also visited http://www.scotcat.com with not much more success.The only thing to come from that,and staying with the Bastiani,it does say that S. Schall and Bastiani get easily mixed up at maturity.I suggest you go to cat-e log, and also read fact sheet 113 at Scotcat.It would appear that Schall is quite aggressive and its overall size of 12"- 14" would fit in with your estimated size.I don`t know about the "black spots" though, many of the Synos`have them although it isn`t always very pronounced.Beyond those suggestions I have no more ideas,other than perhaps you were correct in saying he might be a hybrid.I hope not as he looks quite a nice fish, but I have an enormous distaste for hybrids in the hobby as you will find elsewhere on the forum.So, I will wish you good luck in determining what he is,and hope he is the genuine article, whatever that turns out to be.
Sorry not being able to help you further, but good luck.

[Tracey]

Thanks for your help, Grahams, he's got me confused as well I did have a look at the profile for S. schall and I think its another possibility, along with the S. frontosus that Silurus suggested. I wish I knew where he'd come from, but I brought him almost full-grown, he'd been handed in to the lfs for bad behaviour so I don't know which importer he came from. I'm also not a fan of hybrids, so I do hope that he isn't one, but if he is, so be it. I won't be breeding him as I've never seen another Syno here even vaguely like him.

I really do appreciate your help and if I ever do find out what he might be, I'll let you know.