ID my Banjo Catfish

[RichardD]

Please could you help me identify which species of Banjo catfish I have. Is it the bunocephalus depressus? I have uploaded some photos. Thanks for the help

[Richard B]

Isn't this a B . Coracoideus?

Ps - that substrate is not really suitable for banjos. They need mud/sand/leaf litter, so in an aquarium, sand & maybe dead oak/beech leaves

[RichardD]

Hi Richard

Thanks for the reply. I think it could be the coracoideus. The top of the head on my two seems quite brown.

Will the gravel hurt them or just stop them from being able to dig?

I have mainly the ADA soil which is very fine and it is mixed with the gravel you can see.

[Richard B]

Coracoideus is the most commonly encountered species & othes are obtained as accidental bycatch or specifically (but hese are quite expensive). The colour can be variable & is not always a great key in identification

By nature the banjos like to bury themselves in the substrate so it could POSSIBLY injure itself it it made vigourous attempts to get in to the substrate. Would it be possible to change a small area of the substrate to a smooth, fine sand?

[RichardD]

Thanks very much for the info, interesting to learn more about these catfish.

Will try and set up a spot for them that's quite covered with some soft sand so that they can burrow.

[nvcichlids]

i had forgotten I had soem in a tank once. then when i took it down, I started sifting my fingers through the sand and found a bunch of them. Originally had 2, ended up with like 5 or 6.