Pictures of Synodontis polli and S "polli II"

[Sid Guppy, posts: 757]

Here's a few pics, I think someone called "Dinyar" might be anticipated, just a wee bit

S polli


get that cam away from me!


Sorry for the not-so-good quality; these are next to impossible to get (always moving, and they definitely do NOT like getting their pic taken; they HATE flash!)

The elusive Synodontis "polli II" (watch the white pectoral spine and black dorsal spine!)


Back in the big tank; one S petricola dwarf and two S "polli II"s

[Dinyar]

Sid,

I've seen your "S. polli II" before. I think it is actually "S. petricola X", or maybe "S. petricola dwarf II or III". Better IMO to have one can of worms than two, if both cans are equally parsimonious. In fact, I think "S. petricola complex" is a more parsimonious description than "S. polli II".

Why do you believe otherwise?

Where does your "polli II" come from, d'you know?

Dinyar

PS: No argument over the S. polli I. That's S. polli alright. As you say, there can be only ONE "Synodontis eurystomus", except that it happens to be called "Synodontis polli"!

[Sid Guppy, posts: 757]

I believe them to be "cf polli" for the following reasons:
-narrow mouth, wich has a 'horseshoe-shape" instead of the 'elliptical-shape' of the petricola's mouth.
-orange banded teeth! petricola's teeth have a different color.
-humeral process is decidedly "polli-shaped"
-BLACK dorsal spine; ALL petricola-varieties have a white dorsal spine, especially when juvenile. These have a black spine, even when about 1/2".....
-the adults look NOTHING like petricola! Once I visit Rene, I'll take a pic from his wildcaught adults.
-mine are youngsters, maybe 12 months old, at the most....
-the adults are 13-14 cm, and quite stubby (about as stubby as true polli's, not as elongated as the petricola-varieties), so not 'dwarfs' as one might say. This species is a very slow grower, even worse than the 'petricola dwarf'' ; they take about 6 years to reach 11-12 cm or so.
-They're from Zambia