Synodontis ID

[kody929]

Hey everyone! Promise its not a feather fin or upside down syno. I was sold this as a longriostrus as a baby but it doesn’t seem to add up. Unique tiny dot head to large dot body like a helmet.
I’m converting my 210 to community tank and I’m trying to get a proper ID to possible sell.
Also at around 8” are synodontis predatory to let’s say 1” fish? Thanks

 

[Tobiassorensen]

Lets see if thebiggerthebetter has something to say about this specimen. Hes my go to guy when it comes to catfish of any sort.

 

[kno4te]

Looks like ocellifer but leaning toward hybrid or cb ocellifer as the spots on the tail seem off.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

It's a hybrid, perhaps of this kind https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=2112 (note yours looks to be a larger specimen versus the photos of the smaller ones currently in the entry; please consider contributing your photos to Planet Catfish Cat-eLog for everyone to learn and benefit from.)

If you will, look through these syno genus photos. https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/genus.php?genus_id=29#2184

There is none that looks like yours. Pay attention to the pattern on the finnage. No genuine synodontis species has the same spotting on the body and fins, it is always different one way or another. You may note a few species come close to a superficial glance but look closer and you will see that yours is not it obviously.

 

[kody929]

I will contribute to planetcatfish. I had almost forgotten about that site so thanks for the reminder and input. That small hybrid does seem to match most similar. Those unique head dots are what throw most things off.

 

[Fishman Dave]

Looks like longirostris x decorus cross to me but there are that many, probably ones we hardly see or have even yet to see, like polystigma, but could even be crossed with pardallis, it's that open a field.

 

[monkeybike]

I have a similar Syno, it was bought as Syno Zebra hybrid.

 

[krichardson]

Good looking syno, whatever it is.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

High level experts Birger and Jools say hybrid without going further in the PCF sister thread: https://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=48284#p319951

I take it either they are not interested in guessing or there is no use in it.

 

[RD.]

Great looking cat, but unfortunately this genus is now plagued with hybrids like this. Some very easy to ID, some not so much.