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About a week ago I was at a LFS and the guy happened to have a tank full of baby catfish that he claimed were Synodontis Multipunctatus. I decided to buy 2 of them.

Here's a picture of one:



They're very small (body is about 1" or so - maybe 1.5") and they're very dark. This image makes him appear a bit paler than he is. Is this a multi? The pictures I see online of multis make them look a lot paler than this guy is.

Sorry for the blurry picture - trying my best to learn aquarium photography.

This looks suspiciously like a hybrid.

it's very cute though!!

This looks suspiciously like a hybrid.

I would have to agree with this
Unfortunately this is fairly common right now

Birger

Birger wrote:

This looks suspiciously like a hybrid.

Unfortunately this is fairly common right now

If so, it should have an entry in the Clog imo - and the same goes for the "Valentine Syno".

I think the LFS near me had the same kind of hybrid. I was definitely suspicious.

Oh how i detest the seemingly meteoric increase in the numbers & availability of hybrids being passed off as the real thing

I think when I go to my nice fish store I will bring a camara and show u all the synos they have so u can help me identify them. They do not really give specific names. Some are huge! I wonder if they have hybrids? Maybe I will go today!

Andywoolloo - sounds good - interested to see what they are!

Just talking out loud .

If it is a hybrid would it be quite unlikely to be a multipunctatus hybrid. My understanding is that the multipunctatus is the only syno that uses the cuckoo method of breeding. Thus, how could another male or female get involved in the breeding process.

Maybe its not a multipuntatus hybrid, but another type of hybrid.

Your thoughts on what type of hybrid it could be. I would be interested?

Happy hobbying,
Vriesea

. My understanding is that the multipunctatus is the only syno that uses the cuckoo method of breeding.

They will scatter their eggs "as well"

Thus, how could another male or female get involved in the breeding process.

The parents of these hybrids are hormonally induced and then most likely stripped by hand or some other artificial method..and then the milt and eggs of whatever species are mixed together...I imagine some combinations produce viable fry and some don't

Birger

I really like these little guys - whether they're Multis or not. The guy at the fish store has been doing this for 25+ years, and he claims he buys them from a place in Florida.

Quote: "I don't buy from Asia because you don't know if you're getting what you're paying for, you get hybrids and cross-breeds."

But I'm about 85% sure this isn't a pure Syno Multipunctuatus. He has a lot of Syno cats, some Petris, some others. One tank with some 5-8" "Assorted Syno Cats" which don't look like these little guys in the least.

So who knows. He seems to know a lot about Cichlids, especially Tanganyikans. Oh well.

These little guys are good scavengers. They're cleaning off the rocks and substrate very well and they like it when I turn the light off - they come out more often then.

So as a sidenote: Is there a good site to buy Syno Multipuncts from that doesn't charge $50 per fish?


EDIT: After some research online it looks a lot like something called Synodontis Gallinae, but this isn't in the catalog. Is it a hybrid or something?

S. galinae is pretty certain to be a made-in-russia hybrid. The same guy is believed to have produced several other hybrids and published descriptions of them as purported real species.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4172

gaqua:

If you still live in the Bay Area I have seen and bought them in the club auction at the Pacific Coast Cichlid Association. I have bought 3 at time at the auction for around $20 for the three. Junvis at around 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Come to a meeting and I will introduce you. You can always get quality fish at member clubs.

Interesting is that the person who breeds these uses Electric Yellows as the cuckoo.

Happy hobbying,
Vriesea

vriesea wrote:gaqua:

If you still live in the Bay Area I have seen and bought them in the club auction at the Pacific Coast c*****d Association. I have bought 3 at time at the auction for around $20 for the three. Junvis at around 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Come to a meeting and I will introduce you. You can always get quality fish at member clubs.

Interesting is that the person who breeds these uses Electric Yellows as the cuckoo.

Happy hobbying,
Vriesea

I'm very interested in this, can you tell me how to find out when the next meeting is and such?

Hmmm - seems one of my posts failed to appear - strange!

Vriesea - grandiops also uses thr traditional cuckoo method afaik!

Other lake synos use variations on ther cuckoo theme - there is a video on youtube (& on this site) of polli spawning over the top of a shell which is inhabited by breeding A Calvus & sp.(2) the white zambian polli has been known to lay eggs close to the breeding site of non-mouthbrooding c*****ds so they get protected by virtue of being in the immediate vicinity of the c*****d nest