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What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 21 Jan 2013, 00:29
by Silurus
...is K. minor.

This is the real K. minor:
km.jpg
This is the glass catfish of the aquarium trade:
kv.jpg
See the differences?

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 21 Jan 2013, 01:13
by Birger
The obvious one is the chromatophores top of head, around the eyes, lateral line and the line above the anal fin(?) and base of caudal fin(?) on the second fish.

The anal fin starts closer to the gill opening in the second as well.

Only counted once, anal fin count is close to the same for both, slightly higher for the first 54 and 51 for the second, not sure if the seperate ones at the front of the anal fin are counted as well which I did do(are these the remains of the ventral fins?).

The darker tympanic region in the second (with chromatophores)

The eye is slightly farther back in the second as well.

The first has deeper head/body in a vertical line just behind the eye?

Can't tell barbel length.

Birger

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 21 Jan 2013, 01:16
by Silurus
This means that the common glass catfish isn't K. minor.

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 21 Jan 2013, 07:52
by Bas Pels
Apparently K minor is not that polymorphic?

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 21 Jan 2013, 08:40
by Silurus
I don't think silurids are ever this polymorphic.

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 21 Jan 2013, 20:59
by racoll
Silurus wrote:See the differences?
The mouth in the real K. minor appears to be subterminal, while it looks terminal in the aquarium glass catfish.
Birger wrote:The obvious one is the chromatophores top of head, around the eyes, lateral line and the line above the anal fin(?) and base of caudal fin(?) on the second fish.
Not sure if the chromatophores would be a good indicator in this case, as the real K. minor specimen looks to be much older, and therefore could be quite faded?

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 21 Jan 2013, 21:07
by Silurus
In any case, the manuscript describing the common glass catfish as a new species has been accepted for publication.

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 21 Jan 2013, 21:31
by Jools
As you might expect, changing the name of one of the most common aquarium catfish is a big job. I will get to it soon!

Cheers,

Jools

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 11 Feb 2013, 14:57
by coelacanth
Nooo!! As we've only just had new labelling done, at great cost, it will remain K. minor in the Bolton area for the time being...

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 11 Feb 2013, 19:34
by mummymonkey
Any pictures of a real live K. minor then?

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 11 Feb 2013, 19:37
by MatsP
coelacanth wrote:Nooo!! As we've only just had new labelling done, at great cost, it will remain K. minor in the Bolton area for the time being...
Isn't that what marker pens and tippex is for? ;)

Seriously, I'm sure no one will notice - it's been wrong for the past several decades in the trade, and it took Silurus to figure out that it wasn't right...

--
Mats

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 12 Feb 2013, 00:20
by apistomaster
What a transparent problem. :))

Re: What the glass catfish isn't

Posted: 12 Jun 2013, 16:08
by peterbu
It's easy to tell the difference when they are close up and side by side, but when you are buying it and it's in a tank then it won't be an easy task. Imagine if the tank had white stones in it like mine, then you're in trouble haha.