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Bought this two catfishes at an auction a month ago and they were sold as Synodontis. But are they really Synodontis and are they the same species?
I´m thinking of the shape of the head .... They are about 14 cm and active all day constantly vacuuming the bottom searching for food.
They go along well in a Tanganyika-tank with Tropheus and Goby cichlids. I am a total novise concerning catfishes so I would appreciate help determine the species.

I think I can safely say they are not Synodontis spp., they look like something from the "Hoplo Catfish" group (Megalechis; Hoplosturnum; Callichthys etc.), but I will let more knowledgeable members than me narrow it down further.

I believe sexing these Hoplos can often (if not always be done) by looking at the first pectoral ray, in males they are thicker, longer and bright orange. I'd wager you have two females at this point.

Given the specialist diets of Tropheus, whereby meaty foods can give them fatal "bloat," I'm not sure if these catfish will suit a long term veggie diet (again hopefully others will chip in).

Thank you for your reply and leading me in the right direction It is certainly a Hoplo Catfish when i compare with pictures i find on the net. Maybe a Megalechis thoracata (Spotted Hoplo)? I feed my Tropheus mainly NLS sinking cichlid pellets and these catfish seem to like them too. Along with some sinking catfish wafers i hope they will survive and thrive along with their somewhat unusual tank mates! Thanks again!

These are not suited at all to a tanganyikan tank.

It looks like the tropheus have been at their fins & this is not good

The head of the first fish is quite deformed

These both are . They look pretty beaten up - ragged fins and even their barbles have been shortened.

Jools

I'm pretty sure first one is a male and the second is female. They look like they went through the mill.

Thanks for your answers! They were in this shape when i bought them and have not been beaten up by the Tropheus (for what I have seen). Of course if they
don´t recover I have to put them in an aquarium with more suitable companions!

Richard B wrote:These are not suited at all to a tanganyikan tank.

It looks like the tropheus have been at their fins & this is not good

The head of the first fish is quite deformed

Yep. Have seen many hoplos, never have seen one deformed like that.

PrimeLady, welcome to the Planet! I think what Richard B (being one of the leading experts here) is saying that Rift Lakes have hard, alkaline water. Hoplos are from SA, from soft, acidic waters.

IME though, hoplos are great survivalists. They appear to have invaded the whole FL and there appears to be no body of water that they do not thrive in.

Perhaps, they will adapt to your Tanganyika Lake water just fine. It's just that many here are purists, like Richard B, and create biotopes in their tanks, which is highly needed and wonderful but one needs to understand where their comments come from.

You thought it was a syno. Now, again, there are riverine and lacustrine synos. Rift lake synos, indeed, would be most suitable for your tank. Not hoplos, per se, albeit, again, I am of the mind that they will likely adapt ok. FL waters are pretty hard and alkaline being primarily hosted by what was a coral reef thousands of years ago and also being rich in limestone.