urm...
if im right,
the common ctenopomas can get to 8 inches.
SA leaffish,(is that the one you have?)get to only about 4 inches.
nandus,the asian leaffish can get to 8 inches too.
so if your leaffish is 5.5 inches,it may not be the SA leaffish,which is why it doesnt have the barbels.
i have had polycentrus schombu...not sure how to spell.
but it died in 3 mths.
ive had SA leaffish,lived for only a few days.
ctenopoma i had from 1 inch to about 6 inches then sold it to a friend.
now i have a asian leaffish.
got it at about 2 inches.
now after 3 mths plus,its still about 3 inches.

ctenopoma are very common here.
theyre always for sale and it seems like no one buys them...
sorry,i have only pics of my nandus.
all other fish were lost/sold before i even had my own computer...
