Synodontis Nigrita/Eupterus ID

[mattheuw1]

What is the difference between the Synodontis Eupterus and the Synodontis Nigrita? I purchased a cat from my LFS and it was sold as a Synodontis. They did not know what kind. It looks like the Synodontis Eupterus and the Nigrita. I cannot identify it. It also has very faint white "scratches" on it and 5 tiny white dots on each side in the same exact place. I am trying to identify what it is because one of his gills looks to be indented in. I just treated my tank for ich (half dose because of sensitive cats) and it looks like the medication affected him for the worse. He also has a little nip in his tail from a recent incident with my tsnxrtc hybrid that is no longer with us. I would like to treat him and do more research on him but cannot identify him. I believe he is a nigrita but would like to know the difference. Help me out. I'm at work right now and will post pics tonight. Thanks MFK!

 

[mercury904]

am not quite sure coz the Synodontis family has so many variants and they all look somewhat the same,can you post some pics? maybe your pertaining to another

 

[mattheuw1]

I will work on getting a picture up tonight. It is mostly black with dark gray fins and black spots on fins. It also has a very tall fin on its back. He swims upside down once in a while. His fin placement is exact of the Nigrita and the Eupertus. Thats all there is to him. I am worried because mysteriously a piece of his tail is missing and it turning tan on the spot it got ripped off. He also has a few what looks like almost unnoticeable white chalk scratches on his belly (maybe from the gravel? Its pretty smooth though). But it is bothering me because his gills look to be indented. I'm not sure if this is normal or not, therefore I have to identify him to learn more.

Will post pics tonight. Thanks

 

[mattheuw1]

1. What kind of cat is this?
2. Pay attention to his gills when looking at the pic, why is one indented?
3. Will he be ok?

I am worried about this guy. His tail got nipped by a former tank mate recently and I was starting to notice white streaks that look like scratches on his body. He also has a few small white dots in a straight line across both sides in the same exact spot (no ICH like dots, bigger). I have only had this guy for a couple of months and can't seem to find much info about him. He is about 6-7 inches. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[fishlover88]

To me your description sounds like eupterus. Which is more possible, because it is a much more common fish in the trade anymore. I saw lace cats a few years ago, but have since been replaced by eupterus as the more popular fish. But pictures will confirm the ID. Enjoy your fish.

 

[fishlover88]

ok now that i have seen the pictures your fish is Synodontis eupterus. It looks like a bit of the gill flap got bitten off or fell off. Should be fine, looks like an old injury to me.

 

[mercury904]

it looks like an upside down catfish to me

 

[mattheuw1]

The above picture posted by mercury904 is a tank of Eupterus. That is not my fish.

The Euperterus is lighter colored and it seems to have more vibrant black dots. Mine is more of a soft dark gray with faint black spots. He might just be a little beat up. So do you agree it is a nigrita? Have any idea how old he is? His mouth seems very tiny to maintain such a large body. Any one know what these guys like to eat? I feed a variety of foods to my fish daily and have never seen him eat.

 

[Bethany]

mine mainly feeds at night when it's dark, so i drop him a few pellets when i shut out the light

 

[andyjs]

ok now that i have seen the pictures your fish is Synodontis eupterus. It looks like a bit of the gill flap got bitten off or fell off. Should be fine, looks like an old injury to me.

I agree. IMO it looks just like the fish that mercury posted. It's not a nigrita. I have one in my 75 gallon. They have a much smaller dorsal than your fish has.
As far as feeding, I wouldn't worry if you haven't seen him eat. Their mouth is pretty small for their body size compared to the proportions of other cats. I've had my nigrita for 4 years and he is just now getting brave enough to eat with the lights on. Today I threw in some shrimp pellets for my clowns and he swooped down and flipped upside down under a piece of driftwood and occasionally flipped over quick enough to take a mouthful of shrimp pellet and then back up into hiding. This is the first time I remember seeing him eat since I've had him. Apparently mine likes shrimp pellets and I've always fed other foods like krill, cichlid pellets and meaty frozen foods.