Ancient silver/grey black spotted syno ID please..:)

[gonnaenodaethat]

I dont know what sex it is but I always refer to him as he.

He is around 16 years old. I have owned him from 1997 but I know he was at least 4 years old when i got him. He hasn't grown or changed appearance in the 12 years I have had him. He is around 5 - 6" long. he is a silvery black colour with tiny black dots even on his tail. its not striped. his tummy is bright silver with black dots. He is extremely healthy and strong. he only swims upside down when lifting his bog wood of the floor of the aquarium.

I would really like an ID. I've looked at Nigrita but he's the wrong colour I think. In the 12 years i have had him I haven't seen another like him and indeed on other forums they haven't got any either.

I'm looking forward to hearing any suggestions.

Ann

PS. Apologies for the poor photos but he isn't very obliging LOL

[Silurus]

Either

Synodontis melanosticta

or

Synodontis nigromaculata

. Can't really tell from the pic.

[Richard B]

I agree with Silurus but what the hell happened to his dorsal fin???

[gonnaenodaethat]

I thought myself that he was probably a nigromaculata (sp).

I should have also added in my original post that his dorsal fin has always looked like that. Its never grew back or got any smaller so maybe a deformity? I suppose shifting his bogwood while upside down wont help. He's in a tank with coral sand and normal bog standard gravel.

Does anyone remember if they were in "fashion" 16 odd years ago? Its just that I've never seen anything like him since I took him in.

Does anyone know their life span as well. Is 16 old? I must be doing something with his tank conditions for him to be as fit as he is LOL.

Thanks for the replies guys. Its much appreciated.

Ann

[MatsP]

Without knowing the exact species, we can't really say if 16 years is old or not, but you have done well to keep it that long, that's for sure.

It is likely that the dorsal fin is the result of persistent biting or rubbing early in it's life.

--
Mats

[Birger]

Does anyone know their life span as well. Is 16 old? I must be doing something with his tank conditions for him to be as fit as he is LOL.

You could easily have this one around another 16 years or so with good care I would think...most often it is something like jumping or heater failure or any number of "accidents" that take them out.

Birger

[Richard B]

I'd aim for 30 years old with these as a ball-park figure.

I wouldn't say these were in fashion 16 years ago - they are not often exported, so don't have the opportunity to be in fashion Imported specimens are either snapped up by real enthusiasts when ID'd correctly or find their way into tanks as syno sp.

[jippo]

I wouldn't say either nigromaculata or melanosticta, they are both pretty much bigger at adult size and this one is of the smaller species, i think. I would say S. zanzibarica. In Poll's revision max. TL is 131mm even though in Seegers's book it is at least 25cm. But in nigromaculata max. TL is 38cm and with melanosticta 32cm. And with this fish caudal fin is deeply forked like with zanzibarica.

But this was just a guess, better picture would help a lot.

[gonnaenodaethat]

I've googled for zanzibarica but there's no pictures available for me to compare him with. Size wise 13.1 is actually pretty spot on. I am going to try and get a better picture tonight or a video clip but it all depends on the mood he is in. Sometimes he likes to bash about the tank chasing everything that moves and other days he sits in his pipe or under his bogwood. If he comes out and sees the camera I swear he gets camera shy too. Its not even the flash that scares him because I don't use it.

Another 16 years!!!!! Gosh he may outlive me!!! Its like owning a parrot. I'll have to make provisions for him in my will ha ha ha. Wait til my other half hears that.

will come back later when I've managed to tie him down.

Ann