A Tanganyikan Synodontis?

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 12 Jul 2003, 10:02

Looking for opinion on this fish. No data other than the Johnny Jensen's pics.

Jools

Post by **Silurus** » 12 Jul 2003, 15:24

A young cf. polli (dark form)?

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 12 Jul 2003, 16:10

Yeah, could be. More by elimination than any other form of reasoning. Spindle thin HP by the looks of it.

Cheers,

Jools

Post by **Silurus** » 13 Jul 2003, 14:06

The general shape of the body, adipose fin and HP do not seem characteristic of cf. polli (or any other Lke Tang syno for that matter). However, this may be a very young individual and these features have been known to change ontogenetically.

pturley · Post by **pturley** » 14 Jul 2003, 04:02

I wouldn't be the least bit surprized if this wasn't a juvenile S. granulosus given the dramatic changes that occur between a 2-3" fish and a 6" fish...

A 2-3" granulosus is a dull brownish greyfish with sooty black spots and not terribly bright white fins.

A 6" S. granulosus is the fish we all dream about.

Follow that pattern backwards, you could very well be looking at the fish pictured. I understand these fish have been bred. Word has it by an aquarist (I use the term lightly) in Russia, forced with hormones.

Sincerely,
Paul

Post by **Rusty** » 14 Jul 2003, 05:00

pturley wrote:I understand these fish have been bred. Word has it by an aquarist (I use the term lightly) in Russia, forced with hormones.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that they were actually crossed with a riverine syno species to produce fry. This is why the pictures of the captive bred fish all show muddy colored, only semi-granulosus like fish.

Are you sure JJ has no data on it?

Rusty

YouTube · Post by **Jools** » 14 Jul 2003, 12:03

Rusty wrote:Are you sure JJ has no data on it?

I'm in Copenhagen next weekend and will ask him. I think he bought it, so we should be able to see what it grows into.

Jools

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 14 Jul 2003, 22:20

It looks like a hybrid between S ocellifer and S multipunctatus to me. The overall shape, and the black parts of the fins, eyesize, barbs etc all look like juvenile multipunctatus, except those are usually very contrasting with lots of white.

It's definitely no polli-related fish (eyes too big, barbs too long, profile too edgy), indeed more closely to granulosus/multipunctatus etc. But it sure looks like a hybrid to me.

Post by **Dinyar** » 15 Jul 2003, 20:59

Yes, I agree with Sid. No way this fish is either a polli or a granulosus. It's a hybrid, possibly with Tang ancestry.

Dinyar
keeping an eye on you guys from afar...

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 16 Jul 2003, 15:34

Any chance of it being (maybe partly) S. alberti ?

Post by **Silurus** » 16 Jul 2003, 15:44

Not likely. Don't see any features of S. alberti that would contribute to the fish.

Post by **Coryman** » 16 Jul 2003, 18:33

Just to add two penny worth, I had a fish very similar to this a couple of years ago. It was bougfht as S. pardalis. It now resides in an african set up in the Lads bedroom. I have not seen it for a while so cannot say what it looks like at this time but if I get the chance I will take some pics of it

Ian