Auchenoglanis tanganicus

[SourAngelfish]

Having kept A. biscutatus for around 1.5 years now, I am in love with this genus. I have been eager to get into catfish more as of recent and this species has caught my eye. I actually heard about the fish from Jeff Rapps, he mentioned keeping them in the past and noted their cool pattern and interesting behaviors. Does anyone keep or have information on this species? I searched the forums and found next to nothing.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

The taxonomists can't agree if this species exists as defined or if it is a different species.

As of now, I couldn't tell you anything beyond my relatively recent overview of the genus in the aquarium trade. https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...nus-recognizes-5-species-in-the-trade.743279/ If memory serves, tanganicanus usually turns out the "Volta" species as I know it but if you posted pictures, I perhaps could tell you what the fish you are after is called / known in the trade, so you can look up more info on the fish with the sales / trade / place of origin name.

 

[SourAngelfish]

The taxonomists can't agree if this species exists as defined or if it is a different species.

As of now, I couldn't tell you anything beyond my relatively recent overview of the genus in the aquarium trade. https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...nus-recognizes-5-species-in-the-trade.743279/ If memory serves, tanganicanus usually turns out the "Volta" species as I know it but if you posted pictures, I perhaps could tell you what the fish you are after is called / known in the trade, so you can look up more info on the fish with the sales / trade / place of origin name.

Thank you for the quick response.

Here is the fish I am looking at

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

My overview is in sharp disagreement with many entries in the Planet Catfish Cat-eLog. In fact I have assigned many of their photos under one species to different fish kinds in my overview.

The first photo is of a wittei IMhumO. The second is harder to place. Tentatively wittei too.

 

[SourAngelfish]

My overview is in sharp disagreement with many entries in the Planet Catfish Cat-eLog. In fact I have assigned many of their photos under one species to different fish kinds in my overview.

The first photo is of a wittei IMhumO. The second is harder to place. Tentatively wittei too.

Very interesting, I may look more into wittei. What is the growth rate looking like on these guys? My biscutatus has been extremely slow as expected.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Rather quick. 1ft a year roughly in the first 1-2 years. After 2ft, very slow.

 

[Yellowcat]

About A. Tanganicanus. Apparently this fish as described in the 2010 revision of the genus as one of 7 species or one of 2 species in the 2013 revision as being a synonym of A. Occidentalis, it only exists in Lake Tanganyica in the Rift Valley. I had a chance to buy a specimen through a mostly cichlid importer, a couple of years ago, it was directly imported from that lake in Burundi. At the time I had no room in any tank to get one and had to pass it up, sadly. Good luck in finding one anytime soon, never seen one for sale since. Whether or not it could be considered a separate species, sub-species, variant, synonym or whatever term you may choose, It would likely be different by virtue of morphology, color, patterns, spot size and shape, fin ray count, tooth patch size, adipose fin shape and dozens of other variables that determine their appearance and eventual size as adults, etc. I just wanted one because it would be probably different than other giraffe cats I've kept before. Being that there are many river basins in the African continent, although there is some overlap, some variants can be found in several, whereas some can only be found in one, isolated from the others. My conclusions based on extensive reviews of published scientific studies and revisions on the subject, same species or not, they have surely evolved through eons in their separate basins and rivers, their changes over time that has lead to their many observable variations based on regional environments and so many other factors. I'll leave the genetics in question to the scientists but there are obvious differences found in specimens from different regions and/or river basins that make the genus so interesting to keep in aquariums and learn about. As I've said elsewhere, just input "Giraffe Catfish" in the search box on this site and you will find hours of pleasant reading of posts on the subject penned by Viktor, I and many others...

 

[Fishman Dave]

From my dealings with a local LFS over the past 20 years our understanding was that tanganicus only occurs in that particular lake, is a much yellower/ golden background colour , especially when juvenile, is smaller as an adult and does indeed have many more distinct spots. (Pretty much aligned with pcf).
However, of all the fish we saw as tanganicus we could not 100 % guarantee they were from lake tanganica but they did come with other fish from the lake such as specific eels.
We really need someone to be able to verify that tangsnicus is a seperate species from the larger, less spotted wittei.
The tangsnicus are available here in the uk and look different to other giraffe cats colour wise and spotting wise, often with much better variance in Color. They also are more expensive, and often found in LFS in mbuna tanks etc.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Thank you guys.

FWIW here are a couple of pics of the alleged tanganicus (from a sale ad) from an ID thread on Planet Catfish, where I too participated. I placed these in my overview with the Volta kind, erroneously or not, anyone can be the judge:

 

[Fishman Dave]

Just goes to show.
Some of the tanganicus may have been bred with the Wittei who knows, or the Wittei or Volta may have the prominent spots too, but from the tanganicus we see/have seen here in the uk, I would not believe those two photos to be of tanganicus.
Wrong colour fish with way too little definition on the body spotting, although these fish are no doubt under some stress and not settled, still too big a difference in looks for me to buy one as tanganicus.