PlanetCatfish.com

Hi, I was hoping you could help in distinguishing between these two species. I bought a "bumblebee catfish" from a lfs that looks like the picture of the microglanis iheringi in the catfish of the month article (and nothing like the asian bumblebee). In the tank in the lfs they were hiding in the plants, as you would expect a nocturnal catfish to do. However when it was put into the tank at home it started swimming around and after about 5 hours it still hasn't stopped. It's started chasing the panda corys and even zebra danios when they swim past ! At feeding time it took a whole catfish pellet into its mouth in one go. This makes me think that its not a microglanis iheringi and I'm now concerned that what I actually bought was a juvenile Zungaro Zungaro. Unfortunately I cann't post a picture (no camera !) and the images of the Zungaro Zungaro in the catelog don't appear. If I'm right, the way to tell the difference is in the size of the eyes, but without seeing a picture of both it's hard to tell what is big and small. Does anyone have a picture of a Z. Zungaro head on that they could post ?

For what it's worth, it looks like the picture of a microglanis poecilus in an old (1987) copy of Dr Axelrods mini atlas, but I guess all these bumblebee type catfish look very similar.

So, have I bought a 100 lb monster or just a schizophrenic M. Iheringi ? I'm going to try and get pictures tomorrow (if the damn thing stops swimming), so what would be the best view for identification purposes (head on, from the top ... ?) .

Many thanks for your help

You have a <i>Microglanis</i>. <i>Zungaro</i> does not have a color pattern at all like <i>Microglanis</i>.
Here's what <i>Zungaro zungaro</i> looks like:

My <i>Microglanis</i> also does a fair bit of chasing (no harm done), and also eats pellets in one mouthful. I'd say your fish was just being its usual self.

Thanks Silurus, it's definitely not that big monster ! What other microglanis fish are commonly imported ? Do they all get to similar sizes and I suppose the husbundary is the same for all ? How easy are they to breed ? I've read the Shanes world article and it sounds like a challenge ! I guess this an impossible question but how do you sex them ?

This morning when I fed the fish, the bumblebee chased off the corys and stuffed himself so much that it's like a football now and can hardly swim (I've watched it try and roll itself out of its cave ). Is this normal ?

Thanks for all your help

<i>Microglanis</i> species are notoriously difficult to identify, so it is possible that more than one species is being imported. Unfortunately, they all look more or less the same externally.
Other pimelodids that have been imported as South American bumblebee catfishes are <i>Batrachoglanis</i> and <i>Pseudopimelodus</i> species, which are much darker (they show less yellow) and grow much bigger. Husbandry for all of these genera are largely similar.
The behavior of your fish is normal for a <i>Microglanis</i>. If you want to curb its boldness and greed, I suggest that you keep it with larger, more boisterous fish (not those that may find the fish a snack, of course). I find that this usually puts them in their place, and they will become less apt to come out and eat all the food during feeding time.

is Zungaro zungaro the new name for Paulicea lutkeni(Jau catfish)

<i>Zungaro</i> is the older name that should be used for<i>Paulicea</i>, as explained in Silfvergrip (1992): Silfvergrip, A. M. C., 1992. <i>Zungaro</i>, a senior synonym of <i>Paulicea</i> (Teleostei: Pimelodidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters, 3: 305-310.

Finally got some photos of the fish, although they are a little blurred (due to the fact that it swims so fast, and I'm not very good with a camera). According to the people in the shop where we bought them, the scientific name is Hypogymnogobius Xanthozona which is, I believe, a synonym for the bumblebee goby ! It sure looks like a catfish to me though.....

The pictures are here (I hope).

http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/bc/bakerrj2000/lst?.dir=/

Yup, that's definitely a <i>Microglanis</i>. Not too sure what species it is as they are notoriously difficult to identify.

Hi,

It looks just like my Microglanis iheringi, at least the black and yellow one in the first picture does, can't make much out of the other two photos. Mine only swam like that for a day or so after I'd introduced them but now they hide during the daytime, often in a group including my one surviving Ituglanis metae and I only see them while feeing or just after the lights go out. They're social animals, better kept in a small group of 5-7 animals.

Pectorale