My new little Synodontis

[Birger]

Couldn't resist getting this little one

[naturalart, posts: 321]

Wow! thats unique. do you know what species it is?

[Richard B, posts: 6306]

Here in the UK these often go by the commercial name "custard cats" with the body varying from all yellow to different blotches. It is a man made variant of either nigrita or robbiana.

Not my cup of tea really but they are very different & sell well.

[RickE, posts: 438]

Not really my cup of tea either but I can see the attraction. Has the look of a 'sad clown' about it.

[Birger]

I actually got this one specifically for two reasons...to find out which species these really are, I thought the natural patterned back half may help...and to raise it for awhile and then do photos of it.

Birger

[Maccus, posts: 94]

That is adorable, never seen one like that before. Are they new?. You know what?...I want one, how difficult are they to find and how much do they cost?.

[Oliver D., posts: 114]

Hi Birger,

here(Germany/Austria) these fishes will mostly sold as Synodontis nigrita "gold". Often they comes from eastern europe. Juveniles have the "natural" colour, but if they grow up they lost these colour. Adult fishes are sometimes completely yellow. If you google "Synodontis nigrita gold" you get some photos from adult fishes.
I think they are at least 10 years in the aquatic hobby.

Remember one of my S. schoutedeni lost also the colour:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17328#p127639
I see i doesn´t answer to the postings.

[naturalart, posts: 321]

Hmm, haven't seen this strain in this region. Thought it was just a aberrant color pattern. Okay thanks for the info Oliver and Richard, I'll pass.

[Birger]

Hi Birger,

here(Germany/Austria) these fishes will mostly sold as Synodontis nigrita "gold". Often they comes from eastern europe. Juveniles have the "natural" colour, but if they grow up they lost these colour. Adult fishes are sometimes completely yellow. If you google "Synodontis nigrita gold" you get some photos from adult fishes.
I think they are at least 10 years in the aquatic hobby.

Remember one of my S. schoutedeni lost also the colour:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17328#p127639
I see i doesn´t answer to the postings.

Oliver, Yes, I do realize all this, of all in the tank this one was the only one that was like this still...I do remember that shoutedeni you had, I imagine it stayed that way??

Birger

[Oliver D., posts: 114]

Hi Birger,

my S. schoutedeni lose the colouration slowly over years. It start at the belly and after some years he have lost the colour completely. One or two years later he died with an Ichthyophthirius infect. At that time i have lost a lot of my S. schoutedeni group and some other fishes. Without these infect i think he would live today. Now i have a new group of S. schoutedeni.

Please keep records of your "nigrita gold" and show us some photos from time to time of the growth.

[Viktor Jarikov, posts: 2273]

very unusual... (read attractive... to me)

never seen in any of my endeavors along the eastern US

what a nice thread you linked, Oliver

[The.Dark.One, posts: 1438]

Aren't these the man made variants given the invalid name Synodontis helenae in the Baensch book?

viewtopic.php?p=4169

[andywoolloo, posts: 2744]

very pretty syno

[Birger]

Here is a quick shot of the other side, is still in quarantine and this tank is scratched up so it is hard to get decent pics.

[Birger]

These are actually from about January, I do need to take new pictures now as the pattern is now showing less of the natural color, updated pictures pending.

[Dave Rinaldo, posts: 1753]

I thought this fish is a hybrid?

I see it it now in the Cat-eLog as Synodontis nigrita.

[Birger]

Yep

I have come to realize xanthism is not that especially rare with synos but this one was half and half so makes a good photo opportunity.

Birger

[clydeboy, posts: 36]

My LFS has loads of these and the colouring and pattern varies quite a bit.
Some are fully yellow, others are half and half like this one and others are paler again (almost albino looking) with others a mixture of yellow, spots, orangey bits and dark bits.
The lfs owner pointed me towards them as he knew I was a "synohead" but they don't really do it for me.
When I became addicted to synos I was snapping up fish that I thought looked nice, and I do have a few very beautiful hybrids including my fake granny which is a stunner.
If he had them at the onset of my syno purchasing I no doubt would have bought 1 or 2 as, then, I couldn't help myself.
But my preferences have changed and I'm now attracted to "real mccoys".
I've recently got me a flavitaeniatus and an Angelicus and they are different class, however that is not to say that these little yellow chappies aren't worth buying if you like them, and at £7 a fish could be looked upon as a bit of a bargain.

Ian

[andywoolloo, posts: 2744]

very interesting looking! great pics!

[Jools]

My LFS has loads of these and the colouring and pattern varies quite a bit.

If that LFS is Aquascene in Airdrie, then I believe those fishes are captive bred and being imported from the Czech Republic.

Cheers,

Jools