What are the common catfishes? Help needed!

[Jools]

I am researching what are the most commonly encountered groups of catfishes. That's to say, not following taxonomical classification, just a "I know nothing about fish and I saw these catfish at the store" beginner viewpoint. I am not talking about what you find in your favourite shop but perhaps what you would find in your nearest shop.

I'd say Corys, Plecos that aren't L-numbers, Synos, Glass Cats, Shark Cats, L-numbers, Armoured Cats, Pangasius & Clarias in order of what you find? I'm mainly interested in the UK, but happy to hear from everyone.

Cheers,

Jools

[Bas Pels]

I would say Corydoras

plecos, L numbers, Ancistrus are all hiding fishes, and therefore not often seen. The others you mentioned are oddities.

In fact, I think that for 90 % or more of the people on this forum Corydoras was their first catfish

[MatsP]

My nearest shop has Corydoras and a few different plecos. Pictus cats, sometimes glass cats and the odd "oddball".

--
Mats

[Shovelnose]

Over here, it is Pangasius, Plecos that aren't L-numbers,Clarias, Synos,Cory's,TSN/RTC/Hybrids and Platydoras.

[Jools]

OK, good shout, Talking Cats and Pim Pictus added to my list! Are TSNs really that common in India? That's interesting.

Jools

[MatsP]

Just realised my LFS usually has a few synos as well. Some hybrids (Labelled "Synodontis") and usually S. nigriventris (Labelled Upside down catfish).

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Mats

[Shovelnose]

Are TSNs really that common in India? That's interesting.

Yup. It is mostly 2-3 inch specimens. These are more common than RTC's. Although it could be a case of fish not being sold very frequently too.

Glass Cats, assorted loricariids, Agamyxis and Malapterus appear about three or four times a year. I am looking at fairly decent LFS while the smaller ones are even more miserably stocked.

[sidguppy]

I think it's fair to list as common catfishes in my neighborhood, the ones that "animal shops" store in their small aquarium part

specialized aquarium shops tend to do much better and almost always stack quite a list of Corydoras species and L numbers

but true common catfish in the Netherlands we can find almost anywhere include:

Corydoras aeneus
Corydoras aeneus albino
Corydoras paleatus
Corydoras trilineatus
Corydoras melanistius/schwartzi/leucomelas etc; one of the whitish speckled species with a mask. these are just as common as paleatus

Megalechis thoracata, inbred variety

Ancistrus 'domesticus'
Ancistrus 'domesticus' albino

Pterygoplichthys pardalis
Pterygoplichthys pardalis "Gold"
Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps

Otocinclus hoppei (sold as affinis)
Hemiloricaria parva (most common species, it's still sold as "Loricaria parva")

Panaque maccus (always sold as "Peckoltia vitata or Clown Pleco)

Synodontis eupterus (often sold as nigriventris)
Synodontis nigrita (always sold as the true nigriventris which is rare)
Synodontis hybrids (a wide variety with diverse true species names)

Pimelodus pictus

Pangasianodon hypopthalmus

Eutropiellus buffei (surprising, but almost always and everywhere present!)

Kryptopterus minor

[Richard B]

bronze and peppered corys and P.Pardalis as the most common with C.Panda appearing very regularly by me (as a top 4)

[Suckermouth]

To add to what everyone else has said, I think

Ariopsis seemani

deserves a mention. Perhaps

Microglanis iheringi

and

Bunocephalus coracoideus

.

[corielover]

Corys and Shark cats.

[Mike_Noren]

No one's mentioned common ancistrus?

EDIT: FWIW I haven't seen a Bunocephalus for years, and I've been looking.

[sidguppy]

you missed em on my list...
;)