PlanetCatfish.com

Some group shots #3

Some group shots #4

Viktor Jarikov wrote:"Terroristo", ~2' TL, rescue. Is this Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum? Not sure at all. A hybrid? Is the color pattern strange? Does not look like stripes as Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum should have ??

Judging by the pattern of the stripes, I'd guess this is .

I love your set up and am suprized you have a better half [very tolerant lady]

I can't be 100% sure from pics, but I'd put money on your "Mr. Marbles Sr." being a big old Leiarius pictus.
=high spotted dorsal with a tasel on the spine, marbled belly, a faded 'saddle mark' or lateral band from the dorsal fin spine area. A grand catfish.

Suckermouth wrote:Judging by the pattern of the stripes, I'd guess this is Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum.

Milton, I agree, having studied the pics for recticulatum closer. Nice eye!!!! Thanx much!

grokefish wrote:Lithodoras dorsalis

Grokefish, I think you are correct - this fish has a varying appearance judging from the Cat-eLog pics - but in many of them I recognize my Grany.... well, now, if we both are correct, he will have to bear the nickname "Rocky", which frees the name "Grany" for my 6" TL true pterodoras granulosis in whose ID I am sure. Excellent! Excellent!

naturalart wrote:I can't be 100% sure from pics, but I'd put money on your "Mr. Marbles Sr." being a big old Leiarius pictus. =high spotted dorsal with a tasel on the spine, marbled belly, a faded 'saddle mark' or lateral band from the dorsal fin spine area. A grand catfish.

Naturalart, I think I am leaning toward agreeing with you too. How did I miss the saddle mark??? Cannot believe now that I missed it! It is, though, so faint that I see it in some photos and not in others. I also did not think his dorsal was big and spotty enough for a pictus that have a huge one but it looks like the dorsal-to-body proportion reduces with age, right? I mean that judging from the Catelog pics. Such dark and almost invisible spot pattern does not help recognize L. pictus either. But the snout shape and the eyes are right on the money and distinctly different from marmoratus/longibarbis. So, I think you are right!!

crkinney wrote:I love your set up and am suprized you have a better half [very tolerant lady]

Yes, I know!! Often I am surprised by that too. But then, she is 1/10 as tolerant as she is beautiful, inside and out.

the pond looks brilliant and the outdoor pond is what i am sold out for

the kitties are suhweet and u seem to have a. spatula & l. osseus too, how do the osseus compete against the kitties

the other tanks have some some ghetto stands

all in all very ingeneously done

TIKK: the pond looks brilliant and the outdoor pond is what i am sold out for
VJ: thanks! we aim to please!

TIKK: the kitties are suhweet and u seem to have a. spatula & l. osseus too,
VJ: yes. I am not very good yet with ID-ying gars but here are my thoughts:
* Genus Atractosteus
o Atractosteus spatula—Alligator Gar **** yeah, I have two 2'-ers, French and Baggett
o Atractosteus tristoechus—Cuban Gar **** never seen anywhere
o Atractosteus tropicus—Tropical Gar **** never seen anywhere
* Genus Lepisosteus
o Lepisosteus oculatus—Spotted Gar **** one or two I have may be that, ~1+'
o Lepisosteus osseus—Longnose Gar **** had one called Nosy, ~1.5' TL, sweet-natured, very very tame and inquisitive thing; was killed by the 2' RTCxTSN Evans; curiously, in all my 10 years in Rochester, only yesterday I saw four 1.0-1.5' longnoses swimming and basking in the sun at a local Shumway marina, lake Ontario, or rather right where Genesee river hits lake Ontario
o Lepisosteus platostomus—Shortnose Gar **** seen at LFSs, never owned one
o Lepisosteus platyrhincus—Florida Gar **** one or two I have may be that, ~1+', cannot tell from Lepisosteus oculatus—Spotted Gar (lack of knowledge)

TIKK: how do the osseus compete against the kitties
VJ: see above ; if you mean food, then I hand feed all of the pond inhabitants, one strip of fish or shrimp at a time (except for floating pellets for which my gars appear to have develop a taste for )

TIKK: the other tanks have some some ghetto stands
VJ: do you mean my improvised concrete patio paver turning pillars (in dinette) or the grey concrete cinter blocks in the basement? yeah, either one is a poor man's version but the surprising thing is that my picky better half likes the paver pillars look

TIKK: all in all very ingeneously done
VJ: thanx but you are way too generous.

Sept 15 2010, some updates

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Oct 29 update: pics

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Update Nov 27 2010

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the above photos are taken during a water change; sorry, most pics are still horrible quality

You have a truly monster catfish collection. Thanks for the link from Toronto Fish Store thread.

I really like your koi pond. I have a few koi and goldfish ponds also but none look as good as yours.

Did Jon close down his big tank?

Hey, thanks! Jonathan is still in a large debt over the folded monster-fish-rescue and tries to offset it little-by-little; also, he wants to convert his 1200 gal into a cichlid heaven, at least this is what I gather from his words. He is way into cichlids and not much (enough? by my standards) into cats... His cichlids are spawning left and right in his small tanks so he is not idling by any means... His wife Laura is into cichlids... His children are heading that way... Even Dexter, their adorable dog, is getting into cichlids too, now that there is pretty much no other fish to watch in Jon's basement...