Is this a hybrid?

[Dragonrat]

I have a Synodontis hybrid that I bought as a baby thinking he was a schoutedini. His pattern changed completely; he's obviously crossed with a eupterus, and seems to now be adult sized at approx 7". He has the most incredible streamers on his dorsal and caudal fins. You don't seem to have a similar hybrid in the listings, so do I need to add him myself somehow?

At about 1.5"

At about 3"

At about 6"

[Viktor Jarikov]

Looks like a typical eupterus metamorphosis from a baby coloration to adult. I've been wrong before but I am quite sure this is a eupterus. You must have not looked at the eupterus entry in the Cat-eLog - if you do, you will see the babies and what they turn into.

[Birger]

Victor is quite correct...this is quite normal for a juvenile

Synodontis eupterus

.You are not the first to think this.there are juvenile

Synodontis schoutedeni

photos on the data page, follow the high lighted link.

Birger

[jodilynn]

You have a very handsome Featherfin. I have never seen a hybrid with the specific fin patterns/markings or those lovely long trendils on their dorsal fin. A baby featherfin looks nothing like the adult.

My "Leo" is the king of my 55 gallon. I measured him today, he's up to about 7 inches TL. He does get a bit grumpy with my hybrid No. 5 and my Decora, if they bug him too much he'll chase them a bit, but all in all he is a gentle giant. I just love it when I dop some food into the tank and the three of them school together (however briefly) and feed.

If I'm near the tank Leo will come out and eyeball me, working his way up the glass, begging for food (which he usually gets). After a near-deadly bout of Ich, my hybrid No. 5, Bullitt, will now actually come up and take pellets out of my fingers, as if to say thank you to me for trying so hard to save him (its not his fault he's a hybrid ). But Leo is just so magnificent, so awe inspiring! He reminds me of a Lionfish with those big fins of his. Very lovely, very graceful, a true prince of a fish!

[Dragonrat]

You have a very handsome Featherfin. I have never seen a hybrid with the specific fin patterns/markings or those lovely long trendils on their dorsal fin.

Thank you, jodilynn.

We've had a big clean and change around today, so I took the opportunity to try to get better photos. I'm not sure that we've succeeded, but I think these are the best we're going to get. Only top views, I'm afraid.

To show dorsal fin length

To show size

[Jools]

I split these posts of from the hybrid syno thread as it doesn't concern a hybrid.

Cheers,

Jools

[jodilynn]

Hs trendils are magnificent! I just love Synos!

If you saw my other thread, I now have a young S. Alberti in the tank. Oddly enough, "Whiskers" seems quiet enraptured by Leo. He actually hangs out underneath the big guy, follows him around, eats the food out from underneath him, etc. And Leo completely ignores him for the most part, much like he did with "Houdini" my crazy Kubotai Loach (who now has "Eenie" and "Meenie" to hang with, so sigh...the interspecies love story has come to an end ).

Leo does however have NO problem putting Bullitt and Comet, who are much closer to his size, in their places! Nothing violent or hurtful, just a firm headbutt and a bit of chasing once in a while. He is definately the KING of the tank!

[Dragonrat]

I haven't seen an Alberti for some time. They're lovely.