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Hybrids or not?

Posted: 13 Jun 2012, 17:35
by janxu
I have been told, that in this group there are both Synodontis multipunctatus and synodontis njassae. Are there those species in these photos or are they only hybrides? Or maybe something else? Eigther way they are beautiful and interesting fishes, but I would like to know what they really are and if possible, can I separate genres? (I have 8 of them)

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 13 Jun 2012, 21:53
by Marc van Arc
To my regret I see neither of the 2 species you mention in your pictures.

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 13 Jun 2012, 22:12
by Silurus
There are two (or possibly three) hybrids in your tank.

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 13 Jun 2012, 22:31
by Viktor Jarikov
Welcome to the forum! Unlike Marc and Silurus, I am no expert but I am afraid they are all hybrids too. Hope other experts - Birger, Richard B, Jippo, & Co - will chime in. BTW Jippo is your fellow country(wo)man and keeps a ton of synos.

I like your tank. The fish look happy too.

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 14 Jun 2012, 00:52
by Birger
Don't need me to chime in...all has been answered.

Among other things...everyone of these has "hybrid head" the dip between the dorsal and the eyes.

Birger

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 14 Jun 2012, 07:00
by Richard B
I agree that these are all hybrids

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 14 Jun 2012, 13:15
by Viktor Jarikov
Birger wrote:Don't need me to chime in...all has been answered. Among other things...everyone of these has "hybrid head" the dip between the dorsal and the eyes.
Birger
IMO, you are being humble... your opinion, even if it is repetitive, matters as much as any other expert's. No matter in which order they are given. Three experts saying the same thing beats one expert... well 3-to-1 in confidence vote of laymen like myself :) Experts are humans... and are subject to time and pic angles and quality.

Nice tip too. I didn't know. Is it a 100% giveaway about the dip or only a high % chance it's a hybrid, Birger? The rightmost syno in the second pic (the dark one - don't confuse with Steve Grant :) ) has a quite subtle dip. Still a hallmark?

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 14 Jun 2012, 21:50
by janxu
Thank you very much everybody. Unfortunately they are not originals, but luckly I don't mind so much. I wanted them because they were so cute. :) I got still one question: Has this one eaten more than the others or could it be "pregnant"?

I still got two cat fishes that I want you to look at and tell me what they are. They move only at night so it's quite difficult to get picktures of them... I will try...

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 15 Jun 2012, 01:21
by Birger
Is it a 100% giveaway about the dip or only a high % chance it's a hybrid,
It is a givaway but not all hybrids have this...the producers are getting better.
I have seen improperly developed pure fish have this as well but generally if a fish has it it is a red flag for a hybrid.
Has this one eaten more than the others or could it be "pregnant"?
I would suspect this one due to the grandiops(?) ancestry is fairly active and gets to the food quickly, just a full belly.

Birger

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 15 Jun 2012, 02:42
by Viktor Jarikov
Birger wrote:
Is it a 100% giveaway about the dip or only a high % chance it's a hybrid,
It is a givaway but not all hybrids have this...the producers are getting better.
I have seen improperly developed pure fish have this as well but generally if a fish has it it is a red flag for a hybrid.
To rephrase: if a syno has a dip, it is most likely a hybrid (atm and barring deformities in purebreds). If it does not, it can still be a hybrid.

Yeah, I think it is simply a nice full tummy. It is not gravid.

Re: Hybrids or not?

Posted: 18 Jun 2012, 19:05
by jippo
janxu wrote:I have been told, that in this group there are both Synodontis multipunctatus and synodontis njassae. Are there those species in these photos or are they only hybrides? Or maybe something else? Eigther way they are beautiful and interesting fishes, but I would like to know what they really are and if possible, can I separate genres? (I have 8 of them)
Like everyone at Finnish forum has told you before they are all hybrids. If you have got them from another Malawi tank at northern part of Finland they all are hybrids, I have seen their photos and unfortunately there was no genuine species.