You definitely have 2 different fish IMO and I think you'll find that when they colour up and settle in you will have the C096 with horizontal broken lines, and loretoensis. On the C096 you have you can see the dark in the dorsal and the shoulder, it's just not coloured up properly yet.

the ones without the mask look like loretoensis, the ones with the mask look like the horizontal striped version of C096:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/im ... e_id=15427

I'll try and get some pics of the other specimens

He has confirmed that these were sold as wild fish.

The owner is on holiday but I'll message him and ask whether they are definitely wild caught

These belong to a friend of mine. I understand they are wild caught from a Rift Lake specialist importer. They vary in terms of how spotted and streamlined they are. The barbels don't seem 100% right for Synodontis njassae http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r126/TheDarkOne_photo/Synodontisnjassae_zp...

Spinipterus sp 1 are from Peru. They get to at least 12cm TL (males). I think a 2 foot tank would be OK to start with depending on width.

It is about 6cm SL.

Me and an ichthyologist friend of mine think this could be P. filinemus although I understand there are 2 or 3 undescribed species of Phyllonemus . http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r126/TheDarkOne_photo/DSCN8396001_zpse80e790d.jpg http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r126/TheDarkOne_photo/DSCN839300...

the juvenile Mystus might be the same as vittatus. In juvenile live specimens the fontanel will sometimes look different to adults. When they have grown and eventually when preserved they need to be cross referenced with vittatus. It will be easier to compare then

It will be interesting to see what the fontanel looks like been preserved. They might be the same, but hard to tell on live specimens sometimes.

Hi

Hard to tell using live fish as the fontanel isn't always as obviously visible, but the shape and length don't look right for M. vittatus?:

http://www.scotcat.com/articles/m_vittatus2939_2.htm

Looks more like keletius' fontanel?:

http://www.scotcat.com/articles/m_keletius9011_2.htm

the fish in my clog images was at least 6 if not 7cm SL.

Yes, the head and eyes for one look different.

Yes, definitely different.

As I thought, it was there, just faded, and I bet the body bars and possibly a peduncular spot will appear at some point too.

Nearer to montanus I think. Have you any pics of what you think are montanus?

Isn't the Madras one showing some signs of a tympanic spot and the body lines and caudal spot? Sometimes the intensity of the spot/lines in living individuals fades depending on mood, conditions etc? Is the Madras one closer to montanus anyway?

I'm not saying the West Bengal isn't the true bleekeri , just that the Madras one certainly isn't IMO. The West Bengal one has the correct fontanel etc when compared with the Lectotype. I don't think the Madras one is keletius . It does not match the lectotype: http://www.scotcat.com/articles/m_kele...

They are not both bleekeri IMO. The one from West Bengal fits better with bleekeri in terms of locality but also the fontanel etc. The one from Madras is unlikely to be bleekeri. Doesnt match keletius either.

This is one of the type specimens (adult with a large dorsal fin). Colour/pattern faded. http://acsi.acnatsci.org/base/getthumbnail.php?mode=full&target=329904 Here are some live specimens: http://www.scotcat.com/thedarkone/auchenipteridae/centromochlus_macracanthus.jpg http://www.scotcat.com/th...

IMO you have:

Centromochlus cf. reticulatus (it is not yet clear if this is the same as the true one from Guyana)
Centromochlus cf. macracanthus (again, simailr to above, not yet clear if true macracanthus)
Last one I believe is or

Brilliant find! I agree with racoll

This sounds like fin nipping to me too. The most likely candidates are the zebra loach or the barbs. You should rehome the banjo into a tank with less boisterous/nippy fish.

According to Fishbase A. cirrhosus and A. hoplogenys are found in Uruguay.

the problem with the leopardus group of species and C/CW numbers is they are so variable even within one population.

Hi

Have a look at C. leopardus, C. gomezi and C102

Thanks for the reply Marc.
There are no snails in the tank and the filter inlet is very small and flow is relatively weak.
Perhaps the female hasn't dropped them yet? She is wedged in behind the heater still and maybe it is squashing her belly down. I will keep an eye on them.

Are you coming over to the UK or someone you know is for the UKs Catfish Study Group Convention in March?

A couple of days ago I saw my largest male Spinipterus acsi fertilising the female (or at least trying to). She has been ripe for some time. He kept following her all the time, and she has been hiding from him behind the heater this last day or so. Last night I removed the other fish and just left t...

Great news. I love this Peckoltia. Any chance of bringing some fry across to the UK?