PlanetCatfish.com

Just bought 4 Upsidedown catfish (synodontis nigriventris) from LFS and put them in quarantine. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the fish have small white spots. They are about the size of ick spots, but most of them don't appear to be random, like ick. On a couple of the fish, the white spots seem to have a pattern in vertical lines, about four or five spots per line up the side of the fish from the lateral line. Other spots do appear random and are not only above the lateral line.

These are my first UD cats, are these spots normal for this species? Just trying to figure out if I need to treat the q-tank for ick.

Those are just the laterosensory pores. Nothing to worry about.
If those are ick spots, they would be raised, not flush with the body.

I just acquired a 75 gallon with 5 small upside down cats in it (among other things) and when I started to really look at all of the fish good I thought that all the upside down catfish had Ich. I was trying to catch all of my shrimp so I could treat the tank for Ich and my husband brought up the point that all the dots were in order...Duh!

was afraid of this...it's both...natural white spots AND ick. another supporting example for quarantine after purchase.