FishProfiles.com Message Forums

While checking some taxonomy links for Characins, I alighted upon something that will please lovers of Synodontis catfishes everywhere!

A new species of Synodontis catfish, Synodontis acanthoperca, has been discovered in Gabon. This fish bears considerable visual resemblance to the better known Synodontis nigriventris, but differs in one important aspect - it bears a prominent spine on the operculum or gill plate that projects backward in a manner resembling that of the totally unrelated marine Angelfishes of the Pomacanthidae. However, one feature of this new species will make it a 'must have' for many lovers of upside down catfishes - it's maximum size is just 50 mm SL!

This PDF document is the complete description of the new species, complete with photographs of the holotype, and maps showing the type locality. Full morphometric statistics are included in the document. The document may be saved to your hard drive and perused at leisure within Acrobat Reader.

If all goes well, this is going to be a MAJOR introduction to the catfish world - a Synodontis that is small enough to live in a 15 gallon (US) aquarium without being cramped!

I think there'll be a queue forming for this little beauty very quickly once it reaches the trade ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Nice find Calilasseia

Those catfish look really interesting. Do they also swim upsidedown? If they hit the market, I'll be one of the first to get one.

-Vincent

awesome looking

So if I read that right we are looking at a syno. that is around 2 inches max length. That would be really nice because it is a catfish that looks like one and will stay small.

Thanks for the article. Where do you find them?

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

For LOTS of interesting articles on new fish species, this site appears to be a superb place to go. I found the full description of several VERY interesting fishes linked here as PDF documents.

As to where you would find the new Synodontis, well, it's only recently been discovered, so you'll have to wait until it makes it to our shores ... and the first specimens will undoubtedly command an astronomical price - catfish specialists are renowned for shelling out VERY large sums of money on prized catfishes (Merodontotus tigrinus changes hands for £1,000 each here in the UK, yes you read that correctly, equates to about $1,800 US!) and so this fish, when it arrives, will probably be a HOT and VERY EXPENSIVE item for the first few months of its arrival, then things may settle down to a more reasonable level. However, this depends upon the rarity of the fish - if it turns out to be as rare as Synodontis granulosus, which still commands £300 or more per fish here in the UK, then you'd better start saving your pennies hard ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

well in that case I wouldn't be one of the first.
man that is expensive

-Vincent

Fingers crossed that it turns out to be a common fish in its home waters Bud, then the prices should come down fast, and even more so if it turns out to be a fish that can be captive bred!

Needless to say, that's several BIG "if's", but we could get lucky ...

if it swims upside down on a regular basis like nigriventris does, then we're seriously in business, because a GENUINE upside down cat that only reaches 2 inches should be a prime target for collectors and breeders alike. Here's hoping!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

you pretty much said was I was thinking. That would be so cool if they were like the upside down ones.


-Vincent

Awesome looking fish!
I however was of the understanding that there
is already a commonly available Dwarf Syno,
often its just labelled a Dwarf Catfish.
Looks similar to an adult featherfin,
but all the LFS' I have been into claim
they only reach 1.5-3 inches (in mature females).
One LFS has some in a show tank, and Ive been watching
them for growth now for about 4 years and have seen
none, they all hover around the 2 inch mark.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames

A Dwarf Featherfin ???

Now if THAT exists, it'll be a winner!

Haven't seen ANYTHING matching that description on Planet Catfish ... and since the site makes no mention of the fish having been bred in captivity (certainly not in numbers) then the possibility that someone has bred a dwarf strain of eupterus is even less likely than I thought it would be (and I didn't consider that it was likely to begin with).





Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Cali- I dont think it was a dwarf featherfin...
just looks kind of like a featherfin but tiny.
Kinda like a smaller S. Nigriventis...
but dont display any of the same characteristics,
and are lacking the large flattened belly.
All the fish stores here sell them, and all of them
appear on their inventory lists as just "Dwarf Synodontis Catfish" with no scientific names.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames