PlanetCatfish.com

Hey folks -- I'm a chiclid owner, but a buddy of mine asked me to house a new catfish he bought while he cycled his new tank. We think it is some sort of shovelnose, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the pics! Thanks!

Thanks a lot for the ID Silurus! I just spent a bit of time googling Goeldiella eques and then Chrysichthys ornatus. The latter seems a bit lighter, while the eques seems a bit more gold in color, is this right? My buddy's fish is definitely a dark color, so do the ornatus get darker as well?

Also, it looks like the Ornatus gets to about 9" max? He wants to keep freshwater barracuda and needlefish with it -- do you think this will work? I appreciate your expertise...

Sorry, I posted Goeldiella eques at first, but was too quick on the draw. On closer inspection, I concluded that your fish was Chrysichthys ornatus instead. Goeldiella doesn'y have nasal barbels and Chrysichthys does. Your fish has nasal barbels, therefore it's Chrysichthys.
As for potential tankmates, I think that freshwater barracuda (I think you mean predatory characoids of the genus Acestrorhynchus) might be OK, but freshwater needlefish usually do best in different water conditions.

Needlenose Fish require their tank conditions to be brackish. Putting them in freshwater conditions cuts down their life expectancy. If your friend doesn't want total brackish conditions, instead of the teaspoon/tablespoon (can't remember which one at the moment) per 10 gallons, tell them to do it every 20 gallons.

Needlenose Fish require their tank conditions to be brackish.

No, they don't. See this thread.