Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
-
- Posts: 55
- Joined: 23 Jan 2019, 14:50
- My cats species list: 1 (i:0, k:0)
- Spotted: 1
- Location 1: Ansan
- Location 2: South Korea
Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
Hello everyone,
Over here in South Korea, the most common Synodontis is eupterus. Heck, if it is just named "Synodontis", chances are it is 99% just eupterus!
The only other relatively well known species are lucipinnis (as petricola) and mulpitunctatus(The beautiful cuckoo catfish).
Some places sell hybrid synos too...and every now and then I see a chance angelicus. But never the original upside down catfish, nigriventris! Nuts huh? Evem though they are smaller and more peaceful! Maybe eupterus are better bred in huge numbers?
I have seen my fair share of eupterus, but last week I stumbled across what I am fairly sure are nigriventris. The little cats were with a few ture baby eupterus, but somehow they seemed different....But since I have never seen a live nigriventris before I cannot really tell.
Can anybody give me a surefire way to identify between the two? As I said in Korea Synodontis are not popular so I have nobody to ask here ...maybe there are subtle or definite differences in coloring, spots, head shape, fin shape? They were way darker than usual eupterus juveniles, but based on my experience young eupterus do not have a big difference in the dorsal fin(which will grow to be big and beautiful) I got confused.
Can someone please help separate the two? I am kicking myself since I did not take pictures at that time After seeing way too many baby eupterus I think I have gone paranoid!
Over here in South Korea, the most common Synodontis is eupterus. Heck, if it is just named "Synodontis", chances are it is 99% just eupterus!
The only other relatively well known species are lucipinnis (as petricola) and mulpitunctatus(The beautiful cuckoo catfish).
Some places sell hybrid synos too...and every now and then I see a chance angelicus. But never the original upside down catfish, nigriventris! Nuts huh? Evem though they are smaller and more peaceful! Maybe eupterus are better bred in huge numbers?
I have seen my fair share of eupterus, but last week I stumbled across what I am fairly sure are nigriventris. The little cats were with a few ture baby eupterus, but somehow they seemed different....But since I have never seen a live nigriventris before I cannot really tell.
Can anybody give me a surefire way to identify between the two? As I said in Korea Synodontis are not popular so I have nobody to ask here ...maybe there are subtle or definite differences in coloring, spots, head shape, fin shape? They were way darker than usual eupterus juveniles, but based on my experience young eupterus do not have a big difference in the dorsal fin(which will grow to be big and beautiful) I got confused.
Can someone please help separate the two? I am kicking myself since I did not take pictures at that time After seeing way too many baby eupterus I think I have gone paranoid!
-
- Posts: 2898
- Joined: 21 Dec 2006, 20:35
- My images: 1
- My cats species list: 28 (i:0, k:0)
- Spotted: 7
- Location 1: the Netherlands
- Location 2: Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Interests: Central American and Uruguayan fishes
Re: Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
Whilr your main thinkg is to separate auteris from nigriventris, you basically want to be certain they are nigriventris. And not nigrans, for instance.
Eupterus is the only syno with the featherlike dorsal. S nigriventris have black bellies, the very name nigriventris means with with black ventral (ventral is belly, and the rest)
But I can´t say whether all Synos with bleck bellys are nigriventris. S nigrans are for instance quite often offered here as nigriventris, these are blak all around. So also quite easy to separate.
Perhaps you are ab le to get a photo of them?
Eupterus is the only syno with the featherlike dorsal. S nigriventris have black bellies, the very name nigriventris means with with black ventral (ventral is belly, and the rest)
But I can´t say whether all Synos with bleck bellys are nigriventris. S nigrans are for instance quite often offered here as nigriventris, these are blak all around. So also quite easy to separate.
Perhaps you are ab le to get a photo of them?
cats have whiskers
- bekateen
- Posts: 8955
- Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
- I've donated: $40.00!
- My articles: 4
- My images: 130
- My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
- My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
- My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
- My Wishlist: 35
- Spotted: 177
- Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
- Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
- Contact:
Re: Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
I agree with Bas Pels. Once you know what to look for, the species (eupterus and nigriventris) look very different. Nigriventris tend to have spots like leopards - broken circles with off colored centers (https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... e_id=13112). Eupterus tends to have solid black spots (https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... ge_id=1583). However very small eupterus have a totally different pattern (https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... ge_id=4193).
Cheers, Eric
Cheers, Eric
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
-
- Posts: 55
- Joined: 23 Jan 2019, 14:50
- My cats species list: 1 (i:0, k:0)
- Spotted: 1
- Location 1: Ansan
- Location 2: South Korea
Re: Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
Thanks Bas!Bas Pels wrote: ↑11 Feb 2019, 07:29 Whilr your main thinkg is to separate auteris from nigriventris, you basically want to be certain they are nigriventris. And not nigrans, for instance.
Eupterus is the only syno with the featherlike dorsal. S nigriventris have black bellies, the very name nigriventris means with with black ventral (ventral is belly, and the rest)
But I can´t say whether all Synos with bleck bellys are nigriventris. S nigrans are for instance quite often offered here as nigriventris, these are blak all around. So also quite easy to separate.
Perhaps you are ab le to get a photo of them?
By nigrans you mean nigrita? Also forgot the black belly part! It IS really black! Haha my bad!
Thanks for the links Eric! Now I can see the differences a lot more clearly! Besides the colors the shape of the head seems different too! And side by side the colors and pattern are definitely recognizable! Maybe I can finally keep the true USD catfish! Next time I will bring a photo for reference just in case!bekateen wrote: ↑11 Feb 2019, 07:41 I agree with Bas Pels. Once you know what to look for, the species (eupterus and nigriventris) look very different. Nigriventris tend to have spots like leopards - broken circles with off colored centers (https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... e_id=13112). Eupterus tends to have solid black spots (https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... ge_id=1583). However very small eupterus have a totally different pattern (https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/im ... ge_id=4193).
Cheers, Eric
- racoll
- Posts: 5256
- Joined: 26 Jan 2004, 12:18
- My articles: 6
- My images: 182
- My catfish: 2
- My cats species list: 2 (i:0, k:0)
- My aquaria list: 1 (i:0)
- Spotted: 238
- Location 1: Bristol
- Location 2: UK
Re: Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
Swimming in mid-water upside down is also a clue to look out for.
-
- Posts: 55
- Joined: 23 Jan 2019, 14:50
- My cats species list: 1 (i:0, k:0)
- Spotted: 1
- Location 1: Ansan
- Location 2: South Korea
Re: Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
Thanks!
I saw baby eupterus do that quite often too....but come to think of it, as not as much as the origical USDC nigriventris would I guess! Upside down midwater....now I feel I have all the weapons necessary to tell the difference! Haha
- bekateen
- Posts: 8955
- Joined: 09 Sep 2014, 17:50
- I've donated: $40.00!
- My articles: 4
- My images: 130
- My cats species list: 142 (i:102, k:39)
- My aquaria list: 36 (i:13)
- My BLogs: 44 (i:149, p:2653)
- My Wishlist: 35
- Spotted: 177
- Location 1: USA, California, Stockton
- Location 2: USA, California, Stockton
- Contact:
Re: Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
Yes, baby eupterus will also swim upside down sometimes.
Find me on YouTube and Facebook: http://youtube.com/user/Bekateen1; https://www.facebook.com/Bekateen
Buying caves from https://plecocaves.com? Plecocaves sponsor Bekateen's Fishroom. Use coupon code "bekateen" (no quotes) for 15% off your order.
-
- Posts: 2898
- Joined: 21 Dec 2006, 20:35
- My images: 1
- My cats species list: 28 (i:0, k:0)
- Spotted: 7
- Location 1: the Netherlands
- Location 2: Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Interests: Central American and Uruguayan fishes
Re: Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
@ By nigrans you mean nigrita?
Yes, sorry for not verifying the spelling
Yes, sorry for not verifying the spelling
cats have whiskers
- Birger
- Expert
- Posts: 3870
- Joined: 01 Dec 2003, 05:04
- My articles: 10
- My images: 112
- My cats species list: 49 (i:43, k:0)
- Spotted: 35
- Location 1: Edmonton,Alberta
- Location 2: Canada
Re: Telling apart Synodontis eupterus and nigriventris
you dont really want nigrita...they are big bullies and greedy feeders.
the picture you have above for nigriventris is the zebra kutu variant.
The regular nigriventris have a variety of colors and patterns.
Birger
the picture you have above for nigriventris is the zebra kutu variant.
The regular nigriventris have a variety of colors and patterns.
Birger
Birger