THe difference between asian and SA RTC's

[Cakilla]

I know that all RTC can be aggressive
but I have always heard that asian RTC tend to be more aggressive than the SA, are they totally different species?
If somone wants to buy a RTC and chooses SA RTC is there anyway he would for sure know that he has true SA RTC and not an asian ? difference in color pattern... anything that would make it a for sure SA RTC?

 

[Diskboy12]

I'd lie to know this too, as I want a ARTC

 

[I<3fish]

You do realize that in about 10 seconds of you using the critically acclaimed website "Google" would clear up your silly question, correct?

 

[moo.]

It would be very hard to confuse them, they look nothing alike.

Asian RTC

SA RTC

 

[polish]

Werd...

They are two different species, just similar common names.

Hemibagrus wyckioides aka ARTC

Note this passage from the above link - "Not compatible with other fishes due to its nasty disposition. Many claim that H. wyckioides is the most aggressive freshwater fish in the world. Given this fish's ability to bite, it is not even safe with tank mates too large to swallow since it will simply take bites out them."

Phractocephalus hemioliopterus aka SA RTC

 

[Diskboy12]

I prefer the SA variety.

 

[perfect_prefect]

you can house tankmates with the sa rtc so long as they dont fit in there mouth, where as the asain variety would kill and eat chunks out of anything in a tank with it even if it cant swallow it hole. they are also 10x more territorial than a sa rtc, and back up there threats with acts of violence that the sa rtc cant compete with. if you are ever interested in getting an artc i strongly recommend spending a year or more researching and speaking with people that have kept them to full grown sizes be it on here or in a public aquarium or wherever, there are some real horror stories out there surrounding this cat. the only other cats i know of that have the same aggro nature is the hemibagrus wyckii, they are a smaller cousin common name glass eye catfish. i recently picked up a 3-4" artc that is in my 55 growout with my 6" rtc which is 3-4x thicker than the artc, that pushes around everything else in the tank but knows to keep its distance from the artc. the plan is to move him to a 90 for him by himself when he hits 6". then he will go on to a special section of my pond that i am building just for him alone, with the exception of possibly my red devil being his pond mate due to the devil terrorizing my rtc x tsn.