PlanetCatfish.com

I have had two "Giraffe Cats" as they were sold to me almost two years ago now. When I got them, it was suspected they were different species due to very different patterns and growth rates. Now two years later, I have no idea what this little one is. His nose is quite short in comparison to my other one (I think the first shot reflects it the best). He's about 7.5" tip to tip (that's eyeballed but relatively close), and his grow rate is very slow if he is growing at all at this point. I got him at a little more than 1 inch smaller than he is now. I apologize for the quality of this pics and the water spots, but he doesn't exactly come out and pose all the time. He's much shier than my 'in your face' large one.

I think that your fish is maybe .

The only reason I question that is that my little guys nose seems shorter. I might have to pull him out and get some actual good photos.

yes, I have to agree its a hard one to pin down.
The reason I went for Auchenoglanis tchadiensis is that it seems the only one where fin markings and colouration apply.

medaka wrote:yes, I have to agree its a hard one to pin down.
The reason I went for Auchenoglanis tchadiensis is that it seems the only one where fin markings and colouration apply.

You're not alone in that guess. However, I couldn't believe it, but the little guy sat around for a few pictures today. Hopefully, these help.

My gut feeling is that this is , but we'll never know one way or another, since it would not be possible to confirm the diagnostic characters from the photo.

Would you have any pictures of the fish when you first purchased it?

I myself am leaning towards but cannot be sure yet.
The color...the large dark spots even though not too noticable...color of the barbels

I am certainly not an expert but I have spent a lot of time with this revision in the last month...It would help me to have a clear side shot of the adipose and caudal fins.

We also have to keep in mind there are eight species described ...so far...there are other populations distinct enough to warrant further examination according to this revision, for example the population in the Rukwa drainage is considered distinct, Seegers also mentions this in http://www.planetcatfish.com/books/book ... cle_id=391.

Birger

I'll pull this little guy out and put him in a glass container and try to get a bunch of better shots tomorrow as well as an actual measurement. Since I bought him when he was already 6 inches and he hasn't grown much since then, I don't know what he exactly looked like as a juvenile. I contacted the previous owner to see if he had any photos, but he doesn't. This cat definitely had darker splotches when I first got him, but they were never solid, defined areas. They always looked like he had been hit with a can of spray paint in a short bursts. He still has areas near his dorsal fin that have slightly faded remnants of this. Meanwhile my other Auchenoglanis species has grown tremendously and has retained the defined pattern he has always had. Given the same upbringing, these two cats are very different physically and behaviorally.

I think whatever identification is provided here would still fall far short of certainty, given that you would be unable to verify the shape of the palatal toothplates (a key diagnostic character).

Another piece of the puzzle should be export routes. I for one have not looked at the overlap between these species ranges and export routes. While the species from Lake Tanganyika entering the hobby should not be a surprise, it would also help with the others.

Jools

i to have a giraffe bought as auchenoglanis biscutatus from wildwoods uk but mine looks nothing like the data page picture ,
god knows what is is but hes a great tank buddy for my larger synos and very active to !.

Looks like Auchenoglanis occidentalis to me.