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Wholesale Tropicals told me yesterday that one of their suppliers now has listed Synodontis longirostris, but only available in batches of 75! So, I just need 74 other people....

Next time Wholesale place a big order with this supplier, though, they're going to try and sweet-talk them into throwing in a longirostris for me. It won't be for another month or two.

I asked if they're wild-caught, and apparently they are, so shouldn't be hybrids.

that seems a bit odd having to take 75 fish ?
especially when its a fish growing to over 2 foot long its hardly the fish for the average aquarist but i guess that could be the only way they can get rid of them ?
anyway lets hope now they are on someones list they end up somewhere in the north west ?

if you can find out whos list they are on maybe i can get someone from Bridgemere garden centres to help me as they said they would try and locate one as they do have some unusual synos in stock at there 3 or 4 branches.

cheers
kev

Chrysichthys, do you know by any chance, which supplier has longirostris on it's list?

No, but I'll ring them tomorrow and find out.

did you have any joy finding out who has these on there list ?

Sorry, it slipped my mind; I'm on holiday and haven't been around here much. It's too late to ring today, but I'll do it tomorrow for sure.

I've rang them now, but they told me they don't give the names of their suppliers for commercial reasons.

Doh!

Disappointing, but probably understandable. Let's see if they can sweet talk the supplier into releasing one or a few rather than the indicated 75 individuals in a batch?

Never thought I'd say this - if they have 75 it's probably the Czech hybrid!

Tom wrote:Never thought I'd say this - if they have 75 it's probably the Czech hybrid!

Yes, particularly if they sell them in BOXES OF 75. If they have 75 fish, they would most likely get more for them by selling them to different places, so presumably they have LOTS MORE than 75.

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Mats

MatsP wrote:

Tom wrote:Never thought I'd say this - if they have 75 it's probably the Czech hybrid!

Yes, particularly if they sell them in BOXES OF 75. If they have 75 fish, they would most likely get more for them by selling them to different places, so presumably they have LOTS MORE than 75.

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Mats

I tend to agree - if they have 75 of "syno longirostris" i believe they are not genuine - it'd be interesting to see what they'd retail at (or wholesale price) as this would be a strong indictor of being genuine or not.....i believe this avenue of availability is looking doubtful to produce what we want

If they manage to get one in, I should be able to tell. Regardless of whether the Czech hybrids have any longirostris parentage, they don't have the long snout. Anyway if they're hybrids, Wholesale won't expect me to buy one.

Too bad they can't (or won't) give more details.

Won't they be able to say if they are tank-raised or wild-caught? [Of course, that's just repeating something that the wholesaler got from the importer, so it may not be accurate].

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Mats

My hope for these being genuine are based on the wholesaler lists where unusual species are offered in large box numbers (which varies greatly from one wholesaler to the next AFAICT)

For examples only, Aquarium Glaser has on it's lists.....

Synodontis Contractus, 120 to a box
Channallabes apus , 130 to a box
Parauchenoglanis cf. Ahli, 80 to a box

& a non-cat
Lepidosiren paradoxus, (SA lungfish), 50 to a box

Perhaps the longirostris could be genuine???? I really can't say, but i don't have good feelings.....

It could be that those species are being tank-bred. Or, more pessimistically, that they are passing hybrids off as Synodontis contractus.

S. acanthomias is being tank-bred now, and I think angelicus as well. Could be the same for longirostris. I seem to remember seeing a pic of a tank of juvenile longirostris which in my opinion were the real thing. I think it was posted in PC, don't have time to do a search right now.

I'm pretty certain the Glaser lists species are all genuine - they do indicate 'german bred', 'euro bred', or 'hybrid' where applicable. the species i listed above were just a few to illustrate the box sizes of some "unusual" species that most LFS would not get in as the quantities would be far too large for them to reasonably expect to sell. The lists are quite extensive!

the syno-longirostris at maidenhead aquatics wembley is sold now ,
i had a friend over in london this week and he was going to collect it for me but it went about 2 weeks ago .

i guess i shouldnt of posted it on here advertising the fact of where it was ....
aahhh well you learn by your mistakes ?

That's rubbish news, & if it's someone from this thread it's a bit unsporting

It wasn't me; I promised not to. I would be ashamed to put it into My Cats.

Chrysichthys wrote:It wasn't me; I promised not to. I would be ashamed to put it into My Cats.

I knew it wouldn't be you Chrysichthys, i wasn't for a moment suggesting it might be, but i suppose there is a possibility it might be someone tracking this thread, then again it might not be.

I'd love to keep this species myself but have no suitable accomodation at present & no signs of that changing, then again there are so many desirable species; so little space/funds/availability etc

Still none in sight - today i went on a mad rampage to Amwell, Wildwoods, maidenhead Enfield, maidenhead St Albans, maidenhead wheatley & a couple of lesser stores i passed.

There were some utterly fantastic species but not the one we're looking for

cheers mate,
sounds like you had a good day then ?
what did you see in the syno family and did you buy anything ?

I resisted ALL temptations & there were a lot!

In terms of synos, if i can remember: alberti, angelicus, aterrimus, (B) batensoda, brichardi, budgetti, camelopardalis, congicus, contractus, decorus, eupterus, flavitaeniatus, possible galinae (if this is a genuine specie), grandiops, greshoffi, helenae (man made variety, labelled custard cats), lucipinnis, multipunctatus, nigrita, nigriventris, nigriventris sp zebra kutu, notatus, nummifer, ocellifer, petricola, pleurops, polli, robbianus, schoutedeni, waterloti, several grey/brown spotted species which were genuine but i couldn't identify off hand, & at least 9 different hybrid strains.................

I was going to give you a call but had a flat battery as there were some really good pleurops at 9.99 2-3" which some of them were very well marked.

Richard B wrote:I resisted ALL temptations & there were a lot!

In terms of synos, if i can remember: alberti, angelicus, aterrimus, (B) batensoda, brichardi, budgetti, camelopardalis, congicus, contractus, decorus, eupterus, flavitaeniatus, possible galinae (if this is a genuine specie), grandiops, greshoffi, helenae (man made variety, labelled custard cats), lucipinnis, multipunctatus, nigrita, nigriventris, nigriventris sp zebra kutu, notatus, nummifer, ocellifer, petricola, pleurops, polli, robbianus, schoutedeni, waterloti, several grey/brown spotted species which were genuine but i couldn't identify off hand, & at least 9 different hybrid strains.................

I was going to give you a call but had a flat battery as there were some really good pleurops at 9.99 2-3" which some of them were very well marked.

That sounds awesome!!!

Maybe some day I have to fly there to get some species that is impossible to get from here. But only if you can guide me

I'd like Richard to be my guide too - but if you want a guided tour from Central London [near Waterloo Station] to the not very distant Wholesale Tropicals that usually has a decent selection, please feel free to ask me.

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Mats

Jippo - if you are ever coming over & need a guide, give me a shout

Doh! I forgot microsynodontis batesii & polli too

o.0

for Synodontis alberti I would be prepared to sacrifice several other hobbyists to any dark god or demon lord of choice.....I have never seen it in any LFS over here.

ever. not in 34 years of fishkeeping

contractus, pleurops and flavitaeniatus are also very rare. as in; count the times I've seen them in LFs in 34 years on 1 hand and have fingers to spare

amazing.....

How was Maidenhead St. Albans, as impressive as PFK claimed?

Out of that list I'd go for nummifer and congicus, I've never seen either of those before.

Maidenhead (Wheatley) has some nice big alberti going for £5.50, a real bargain.

St albans was pretty good, but i wouldn't rave about it. MASSIVE dry goods area & more tanks than any other i've seen but too many syno hybrids & i thought some fish were a bit expensive - that said i thought the 3-4" were an absolute bargain at £8 or was it £8.50.

Wildwoods was excellent as always

Sorry Syno-kev we seem to be getting a bit off track....