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3" SL

Looks alot like this guy: ?

Except humeral process doesn't look quite right.

I have 3 and this doesn't look the same.

I agree, it doesn't look like the Brachy- or Hemisynodontis, but like e "true" Synodontis species to me.

whatever it is, it's been long since I've seen any Syno look as good as this one!



wow

any clue from wich country it's imported?

Check the barbels to see if they are like .

Oo-er...tricky. Definately not Brachysynodontis as mentioned previously.

I had seen something years ago, very similar labelled as S.Budgetti but who knows if this ID was correct. Ansorgii looks close but humeral looks a little different unless there is noticeble change from juv to adult?

Anyone else?

Silurus wrote:Check the barbels to see if they are like

Synodontis ansorgii

.

Also, the spotting only occurs in the adipose fin and above the lateral line.

I'm not sure how much help this will be, but when I worked at Armke's (where the fish came from), they came in with a group of wild caught Synos labeled "haugi Ogwe Basin Black". There were at least 3 different species in the mix. I actually have one or two of these guys left myself, and they are also around 3".

They are most likely not haugi, but if anyone knows what species are found in the Ogwe Basin (I certainly don't!), that would be a good start.

From the picture above, there's no membrane at the base of the maxillery barbels ... not brachysynodontis for sure.

But it doesn't look like ansorgii either? Eyes too small, and dorsal and adipose do not merge in ansorgii. Humeral process looks different as mentioned.

Thanks for the PM Dave! I haven't seen such a species alive before, and acc. to Poll, none of the fish of which a drawing is in that book fits perfectly. From its general appearance I would say its surely a West African species. Only S. budgetti has some similarities. I know, this species has an extremely formed humeral process - in adults! And acc. to Poll's drawing, no dots. Remember S. acanthomias where these features also only can be seen in adults! But the form of the snout, the hight of the body, and of the adipose would fit. Also I think I can see in the second picture that the left pectoral spine is serrated on both sides. I would give the species a cf.budgetti and wait until it grows up, to about 40 cm(!) if it is that species.
The only thing which doesn't fit is the description of small dots in the fins which Poll mentions in younger specimen: "Coloration: Brown yellowish or darker as well on the back as on the belly. The fins are partly brownish and marked with small brown spots in series + parallel, spots which disappear in the adult."

I've come to find out this fish had been in an LFS since (at least) 2002.

There are two more that are also 3" SL, so I would assume they won't be growing to the 30-40 cm size of .

All right, this is a good argument. Most (but not all) big growing Synodontis do grow continuously and especially the first year(s). Also the big eyes of your specimen don't match to good. But if you look at the only photograph in the link to the cat-eLog, you might notice, that the specimen there is not too different (besides the size of the eyes, and the basic coloration - the latter doesn't mean anything).