Mystery syno

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 22 Jan 2003, 18:27

I used to have a syno which I was never able to identify. It can be best pictured as an upside-down S. notatus with a deeper silver colour, a few scattered spots, black edging on the fins, and a black flattened underside. At the time of its death (due to jumping from the tank) it was seven inches long and still growing rapidly. It had an odd habit of mimicking the swimming movements of other fish. It was clearly a true inverting catfish, spending most of its time upside-down with a shoal of nigriventris. It was sold as a Hemisynodontis with no species or common name given. In the shop it was swimming with a shoal of pictus cats, mimicking their movements, even though it would never encounter them in the wild. I would like to get a group of them, but I have never seen one since.

gibbo · Post by **gibbo** » 22 Jan 2003, 22:47

It could've been Hemisynodontis Membranaceus or Moustache Catfish. I have finally managed to get two 2.5" specimens and they show spotted markings in certain light and have a very dark belly region. I know that Stingray has one at his shop in Dudley, W.Mids but I couldn't travel to get him. Luckily my lfs managed to get some for me.

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 27 Jan 2003, 15:45

It wasn't a moustache cat, because it lacked the 'moustache.' It also wasn't Brachysynodontis batensoda, which I have. Both of these are a lot deeper-bodied and more laterally flattened, and brown in colour, whereas it was deep silver with black spots. It also isn't Synodontis ocellifer, which I have. I've been through all the Mochokidae in Planet Catfish and Scotcat without finding it. I don't know what area of Africa it came from, but I suspect the Niger basin.