What have I found?

[Flatdog]

I have just noticed a new catfish in my aquarium, not purchased by me, and I think the egg must have come in on a plant some time ago. On trying to identify it the closest I can come up with is the ASTROBLEPIDAE family. Approx 90mm in length. It doesn't look in very great condition, but seems happy enough by the filter return flow. I don't know if the long caudal fin is very obvious.

[Martin S]

Firstly, welcome to PlanetCatfish!
IMO it's unlikely to be from an egg, more likely a fish that has stowed away in a piece of bogwood or some plant roots, but still an unusual looking fish. I have no idea what it is, but am 99.99% sure it's not

ASTROBLEPIDAE

if only from the branched barbels - these are more reminiscent of a Synodontis, but with my limited knowledge, am sure there are plenty more species with branched barbels.
Interested to see what it is, am sure someone will help identify it.
Martin

[Shane]

Flatdog,
Take a look through the species of Microsynodontis and see if you find a match.
-Shane

[N0body Of The Goat]

My initial thoughts are same as Shane's, they remind me of my old

Microsynodontis polli

.

Albeit 90mm TL is much longer than my specimens reached.

[Martin S]

Good call @Shane. Could well be

Microsynodontis polli

- the others of this genus are generally more rounded in the body, whereas M.polli is a longer looking fish, like the OPs...

[Flatdog]

Flatdog,
Take a look through the species of Microsynodontis and see if you find a match.
-Shane

Shane, many thanks for that - I had never heard of microsynodontis , and yet have 8 different Syno's. M.polli looks the closest - this fish has no patterning as such, but is symmetrically marked with small black dots on most of the anterior fins. It is definitely 85mm in length, but the caudal fin does look longer than those shown. How it has managed to live so long un-noticed is beyond me. I'll accept your ID as M.polli unless you feel there is some physiological reason not to. I'd be interested to hear from any other keepers of M.polli if their fish are similarly marked. Thank you again

[Shane]

At this point I think you are safe going with M. cf polli or even M. sp aff polli. I have no doubt that there are numerous undescribed Microsynos throughout Africa, so until something that is an exact match is described you can only say "it is like or similar to pollii but not an exact match."
Outstanding find for a free hitchhiker.
-Shane

[Flatdog]

Just looking at the caudal fin, definitely rounded and not truncated or notched as most describe.