Hemibagrus Juvenile differences.

[Redtailrob]

Hi all.
Been considering "maybe" obtaining another Hemibagrus species again.
Am fully aware of their potential requirements with regards to tank mates (or rather should that be NO Tankmates )and tank/pond sizes.
My question is however how do you tell the following species apart as Juveniles?
I've kept fish for 20 years & been involved in the trade from both an Import perspective & retail & there definatley seems to be a confusion of ID of the following 3 species.
H. Numerus
H. Wyckoides
H. Filamentus - This one DOES exist but i cannot find any reference to it on the species log, although I think it was due to be added once more data was availabe.
I've actualy kept all 3 species at one time or another and to be honest i'd seriously struggle to tell the difference between the 1st two in particular.
Can anyone shed any light / opinions.

[Viktor Jarikov]

just about 10-15 lines down in the same forum
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =9&t=31820

[Redtailrob]

Hi Victor.
Am i missing something? Is your post not regarding the differences between Wykii & Wyckiodes?
Im after the differences between H.Nemurus, Filamnetus & Wyckoides as Juveniles?
Ill read your post again in case i missed it.

[Stackdeck]

Pardon my ignorance , as im still new to these fish , but between juvenile wyckioides & nemurus isnt the colour, size of the eyes and distance between the adipose and the caudal fins slightly different? Just compared juvenile pics between both on thecatelog.

[Redtailrob]

Difficult one that Stackdeck.
As there is stil some confusion- certainly within the trade & to some degree here.
For example the pictures/images 9 & most definatley 12 for H.Nemurus could easily be confirmed as H.Filamentus as the Caudal fin has extensions on spines 1-3. (Ref Fang & Chaux 1949)
The albino images could also be argued are albino variants of H.Wyckloides & not Nemurus at all. Most Albino Bagrus sold within the trade are sold as Albino ARTC which would indicate Wyckoides, Not Nemurus.
However to back up your point, certainly looking at the Juvenile pictures there is a slight difference between Nemurus & Wyckiodes.

[Viktor Jarikov]

My bad, Rob. I thought this was the thread where, among other things, Silurus said that the differences in juvis are very small. I was wrong - it is not the thread I mentioned above. It's some other. And now, I am not even sure if that other thread is relevant too.

[Fishmandavew]

Hi all,

from my experience it will depend on what size you are talking as juvenile.
I,ve owned a few of both H.Nemurus and H.Wyckoides going back over the past twenty years.
I would say that i have never owned H. Filamentus BUT I had 2 albino H.Nemurus at 9" and both were exactly identical - even down to placid temprament, were bought from the same shop and could even have been from the same import, however one had Caudal fin extension and the other not.
The Wickoides I owned was certainally longer and flatter as a true baby but as he gained his red tail he also grew stockier and "taller".
You will find on the same diet Wickoides grow faster and are much less tollerant, even when young. Nemurus seem to take a lot longer to get to a foot long.
Watch for the shape of the mouth too. As daft as it sounds Nemurus have more of a "smile" and all the way to a foot long are more apt to venturing out and swimming 2-3"off the bottom.