Flavican Catfish

[Jennstin]

Hi i recently purchased a flavican catfish for a cheap price because its streamers on its tail has been bitten off by another fish that was in a tank with it when i bought it. Now im wondering if the streamers will grow back or will they just be completely gone forever and just stay as it is now. Heres a picture of it currently.

 

[Chub_by]

They will grow back

 

[Jennstin]

Thanks i was worried they wouldnt!

 

[Evz jardini]

Nice looking cat sure they'll grow back over time

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Like barbels and fins and skin, the extensions get damaged all the time in the wild - it's no picnic out there but an everyday fight for survival of the fittest. They are "designed" to heal fast and grow back, especially the extensions being so weak and tender.

 

[jsodwi]

Streamers will grow back no problem and whiskers as well. My tig is constantly getting his bitten off. The bent snout on the other hand will not straighten out.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Glad you brought up the snout. I am hesitant to call it damaged/bent but it can be. They say the fish is skittish and runs full force into tank walls sometimes leading to broken snouts but they also have that strange thick, oval-shaped upper jaw/lip when young. So I am not sure. As for the larger fish, the first fish in here has a bent snout http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=944 while others appear normal.

 

[Jennstin]

You sure it's a bent snout I thought all flavican catfishs mouthes looked liked that. He's around 6 to 6 and a half inches. Does anybody else have a flavican that has it's mouth look like this or is it actually damaged.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Why don't you take a look through the pics in the link I provided? Then you may be able to decide for yourself. Or you have and it is not clear?

These fish are very, very rarely offered for sale and kept.

 

[Jennstin]

I'm going to guess its natural. Every photo I seem to find of a flavican the snout looks exactly like that