PlanetCatfish.com

I was Sold 2 Dianema porthole cats, but i think one is some sort of Hoplo (smaller eyes longer barbs ect) any ideas what it is. sorry for crap pics.
Thanks for any help guys.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/ ... tfish3.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/ ... atfish.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/ ... emacat.jpg

The first two are just taken too close.

it can be Hoplosternum punctatum or Lepthoplosternum pectorale or so.

h puncxtatum has a 'v' shaped tail (but not as pointy as Dianema), lepthoplosternums have a straight/slightly rounded tail without lobes.

the last one is indeed Dianema longibarbis

Cheers for that, i thought it wasnt another dianema.It seems to like to bury its head in the sand do you think a finer gravel or sand is better for catfish. A big thanks.
Better pics:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/ ... at2222.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/ ... at3333.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/ ... at1111.jpg

Definitely Lepthoplosternum spp.

in the second pic I can see the frontside of the 'pectoral shields'; the armourplates on the belly were the pectoral fins are implanted. Those are called the coracoids.

it has those, right? two rounded plates just after the head on the belly, often a bit reddish brown and they can meet in the middle (male) or there's a wee bit of skin between them (female).

it's THE way of separating these from baby Callichthys; those also have them, but the plates are cannot be seen due to them being covered by skin.

Apart from those plates juvenile Callichthys look a lot like lepthoplosternums.

To see a good example on what to look for, check out this male megalechis picta with huge coracoids

on smaller species and on females those plates are obviously smaller, but they're there alright, unless you have a young Callichthys.