PlanetCatfish.com

Hi folks - great forum you have

I've just bought two fish labelled as Lophiobagrus.

Colour, fins etc look like brevispinis, however they're 3 and 4 inches long...so bigger than the profile suggests.

Also, their mouths are 'on top' of their heads...what you all make of them ?

Sorry I don't have a pic - my camera isn't up to it.

Hmm...mouth on top of head...not by any chance?

thanks for the (very quick reply)

Lophiosilurus alexandri bears a resemblance in terms of facial features.

but nope (thankfully when I saw the size alexandri can get to!)...wrong colour...mine are rusty/grey with a touch of red to their face. Very distinct and visible scale pattern

Body is elongated almost eel like...slightly flattened but not anything like to the same extent as alexandri...A small thoracic pelvic fin on each side which is constantly fluttered when swimming.

The mouth is on top and 'extendable' i.e. a short almost nozzle like extension is visible when feeding/looking for food.

They look a little bit like this picture of a senegal bichir http://www.primitivefish.com/Bichir3.jpg

If it has scales, it ain't a catfish.

Sounds like a reed fish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus).

Any chance of a photo so we can give you a proper ID?

doh ! lol scales...just as I posted that I said to myself "waaaait a minute...it has scales" I'm new but I'm not that new lol

I'll try and stick up a pic...definitely similarities to Erpetoichthys calabaricus but, mine have lots of finnage.

Thanks for the help folks

If it has many (dorsal) fins, it has to be a polypterid (either Polypterus or Erpetoichthys).

unfortunately these were the best I have gotten so far.

Ignore previous descriptions of fins I was wrong ! they are :

caudal fin, anal fin, dorsal triangular fin closer to tail than head, ventral fin slightly in front (closer to head) of dorsal fin, two pelvic fins (thoracic).

eyes and mouth are on top of head. head is higher set than eyes. two nodules, bichir like on nose.

behaviour highly nocturnal, sometimes rests motionless/stationary on substrate with upper third of body suspended in the water.

fish is scaled

I think Phractolaemus ansorgii

spot on.

thanks a million

sounds like a chinese dragon fish not very big but definately a preditor