PlanetCatfish.com

Hello There!

I would need some help. I bought 2 of them in a lfs, they didn't know their identity.

Thanks!



[Mod edit: Fix youtube tags up --Mats]

this is a hybrid synodontis

It's a hybrid along the lines of .

Thanks for your answers. It is a real hybrid, a cross of 2 differents species? If so I'm deceived, I was not expecting it could be a hybrid.

It is a real hybrid, a cross of 2 differents species?

Yes, in technical terms it is called an "interspecific hybrid".

Yes. A large part, possibly the majority, of Synodontis sold today are hybrids, usually sold under false or made-up names. They can be beautiful fish in their own right but one would wish the breeders were more up front about the fact that they're hybrids.

Mike_Noren wrote:Yes. A large part, possibly the majority, of Synodontis sold today are hybrids, usually sold under false or made-up names. They can be beautiful fish in their own right but one would wish the breeders were more up front about the fact that they're hybrids.

I didn't know that about Synodontis. I usually know exactly what I'm buying and I'm not particularly fond by interspecific hybrids but this time they really got me.. I will take good care of them anyway for I'm responsible of those littles lives when I decided to pick them up at that lfs, they are beautifull I agree but it is now certain that I don't have in mind to reproduce them. Thank you very much!

Oh oh! Somebody found this: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/im ... ge_id=7320
It looks a lot like mines, could it be a Synodontis ornatipinnis? http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/sp ... ies_id=552 What do you think?

There has been a bit of debate on how many of those cat-elog fish are actually S. ornatipinnis.

Nobody was sure, but the real S. ornatipinnis are almost unheard of in the trade, and when they are available, they are adults.

Young hybrids on the other hand are available in nearly every petshop in the world.

The chances of your fish being a real S. ornatipinnis is about 0.0001%.

I think your fish is a variation on often sold in the uk as Syno Zebrinus. I believe this fish is likely to be a cross between Synos schoutedeni & angelica.

I have often been critical of the ID of fish labelled ornatipinnis. I have seen wild ornatipinnis & although beautiful their markings are consistently not as bold as fish being offered. In my 30+ years of fishkeeping i have seen less than half a dozen which i know to be genuine & all have been 4-5" SL & cost £85-£125.

Tiny fish, offered in quantity, with bold markings is indicative of something that is being commercially bred & probably a hybrid. In your case i'm sure it is a hybrid species.

Thaks a lot. I'll post other pics when they'll allow me to.