synodontis id?

[thebiggerthebetter]

just though i'd throw it out there, my syno, obtained in 11/2008 is still alive & doing well at 13 years old

Thank you for this and congrats on this major achievement.

Let me ask the obvious on everybody's mind: what species has it turned out to be? I am pretty sure no way the very expensive, very rare, and very coveted longirostris. Sounds like a decorus from the description.

 

[Sand]

Wow! That’s great to hear!

Thanks, I had a 65 long acrylic made for him a couple of years ago (from Midwest Custom Aquarium) & I obtained a wife for him several years ago. He is like a puppy, comes out when he sees me, eats from my hand and goes into my palm when I feed him Or clean the tank, sometimes I just stick my hand in there to pet him. He truly likes me and knows who I am. He wouldn’t come out of his cave to eat for the spouse when I was gone for several days recently. Gotta love all the creatures , he is the one on top in the pic

 

[Sand]

Thank you for this and congrats on this major achievement.

Let me ask the obvious on everybody's mind: what species has it turned out to be? I am pretty sure no way the very expensive, very rare, and very coveted longirostris. Sounds like a decorus from the description.

Great question, who the heck knows! Not me! Eupterus I always figured, but what do I know! Both of them have darkened up a lot in their
old age

 

[Sand]

Awww here is my boy a few weeks after I got him, he looks so different, such a sweet guy

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Thank you for these. This is not a species I recognize as a genuine one. I am guessing hybrid but I am not an expert on the greatly recently expanded synodontis genus.

 

[_Wolf]

Looks a lot like my Synodontis Eupterus.

 

[Fishman Dave]

I would suggest a nice looking hybrid (possibly ocellifer x eupterus) however the synodontis group keeps expanding finding new local “river” varieties and colorations.
Eupterus would not have just bold spots at that age.

 

[twentyleagues]

I am thinking angelicus, or hybrid. It's so difficult telling some of these apart. They are my favorite group of catfish. Either way to have it for 13 years is awesome.

 

[_Wolf]

I would suggest a nice looking hybrid (possibly ocellifer x eupterus) however the synodontis group keeps expanding finding new local “river” varieties and colorations.
Eupterus would not have just bold spots at that age.

I have both ocelifer & eupterus in the same tank. the Ocelifer has shorter fins, and longer stretchy body.
The eupterus in my experience will have bigger dots on the females, and when they're smaller size body.

Here are some of pics, sorry for the glare. I keep them outside.





This one is full of eggs.

 

[Fishman Dave]

If your supposed eupterus started as juveniles with spots then you don’t have eupterus. Eupterus start as squiggly pattern, only changing to spots as sub adults when the dorsal fin rays extend too. If your eupterus only has a single extension also then it’s not eupterus.
In both cases you would probably have ansorgii, which does start life spotted and tends not to have multiple dorsal fin extensions. Also has a slightly larger eye than eupterus. Both are very easily confused.