Can you please confirm IDs on these Synodontis?

[bekateen]

Hi All,

My LFS has these Synodontis for sale, imported as
(1) Synodontis petricola
(2) Synodontis decorus
(3) Synodontis (no specific epithet, but maybe Synodontis ornatipinnis?)

Can you please confirm IDs or give me better matches? I thought the "decorus" looked like Synodontis sp_hybrid(5), although the tail looked close for decorus, and I thought the third fish looked like Synodontis sp_hybrid(9). But is there a wild Synodontis that looks similar?

Thanks, Eric

Thanks, Eric

[Viktor Jarikov]

The decorus look like they could be real, as the genuine ones have stripes in both dorsal and caudal. When bigger one should see a black extension on the dorsal and spot easier the maxillary barbels having branches.

[Ralfieboy]

Number 1 could also be Lucipinnis. Great article on here on how to tell them apart.
Number 2 agree Decorus....see the article on the stripped version.
Number 3 hybrid species 9. Ornatripinnus is pretty rare to find. A number of videos out there...still a cool Catfish.

[Viktor Jarikov]

Anyone else with a grounded opinion?

Number 1 could also be Lucipinnis. Great article on here on how to tell them apart.
Number 2 agree Decorus....see the article on the stripped version.
Number 3 hybrid species 9. Ornatripinnus is pretty rare to find. A number of videos out there...still a cool Catfish.

Thank you for your input. Welcome to the Planet!

[Ralfieboy]

I just watched a video searching Synodontis Pardalis. Sergei was the first name. It shows fry growing over a two year period. The stage before the spots looks like your Catfish. Be cool if it was a Pardalis. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf_GM6g_2mM

Right now I have 8 Multipunctatus, 6 Petricola, 4 Granulosus, 1 Decorus, 10 Polli White coming from Germany next week. I have Pardalis and hybrid 9 on my wish list and be funny if they were the same fish. Time will tell...cheers.

[bekateen]

Thanks for sharing that video. I agree that would be nice if they were real Synodontis pardalis. I didn't get to ask the store owner what name he ordered them as. I'll ask next time I see him.

Cheers, Eric

[Birger]

To me both 2 and 3 look like hybrids, there is no evidence of pardalis at all.

[Fishmandavew]

I would agree with Victor that number 2 could quite possibly be young decorous, only time will tell. As for number three I can see why it was thought it could be ornatipinnis and in my view it looks closer to this than to hybrid 9, but I do still think it’s a hybrid, one I would buy just to prove myself right or wrong.