Catfish ID, please!

[Acrobit]

I've looked all over the place trying to identify this catfish, but I've had no luck. We bought her nearly 20 years ago labeled as a Nigerian lace catfish, but I've searched and haven't been able to find any cats by that name. I'm sorry about the picture, it's an old one. I'll do my best to get another. She's always sitting inside her cave and only comes out to eat. She's five or six inches long, by the way:

 

[lucky62]

Maybe some kind of syno can't see well enough .

But almost 20 years , good for you . well done .

 

[Acrobit]

Thanks lucky62. Just ran to try to get another picture but it was too dark, ended up having to lighten it and it's all screwed up now but anyways, here it is if it can help with ID.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Black Lancer Catfish

http/www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?id=16161

 

[Paul_MTS]

the only floor in that being that they get to 9inch and unless it's stunted then after 20 odd years i would expect any fish to be full size.

 

[Acrobit]

DevilsAdvocate, she doesn't exactly look like that. The photo on that website wouldn't come up for me, but I looked them up on Planet Catfish and she doesn't look the same. I don't exactly know how to explain it, though - she just doesn't seem to be as large as the black lancers. She also doesn't have the silver line. Although my photos don't show it, she's a brown color rather than black.

 

[CFC]

Synodontis eupterus are sometimes called Nigerian lace cats.

 

[Acrobit]

She looks a lot like a Synodontis eupterus, except she doesn't have any spots on her body. She has the same spots on her tail and fins, though - is it possible for them to not have any spots on their body, or can they "lose" them when they become adults?

 

[Fishy411]

She looks a lot like a Synodontis eupterus, except she doesn't have any spots on her body. She has the same spots on her tail and fins, though - is it possible for them to not have any spots on their body, or can they "lose" them when they become adults?

i doubt it is a Syno eupterous. Does its fin on its back look ragged when its extended? if not it isnt a eupterous

 

[CFC]

As they grow the spots on the body fade leaving the fish a gold/brown colour, as said a ragged edge to the dorsal fin would be the telling point, this is where the name "lace cat" comes from

 

[Aulonochromis]

She looks a lot like a Synodontis eupterus, except she doesn't have any spots on her body. She has the same spots on her tail and fins, though - is it possible for them to not have any spots on their body, or can they "lose" them when they become adults?

I can't even see the fish in the pics, but from your desription it makes me think Synodontis Alberti. Does it have big eyes?

 

[Acrobit]

Aulonochromis, sorry you can't see the pictures - I can see them fine on my computer, but it's different for other resolutions, I'm sure.

She does have pretty big eyes, but the different between her and these synos is that she has no spots at all except for black spots on her fins and tail. I'll look at her dorsal fin when she comes out later. Thanks.

 

[rocksolid]

Looks like a lace catfish to me. I got a featherfin and a Lace, they look nothing alike but you can tell they are both from the syndontis family.

 

[Fishy411]

I saw one today at my LFS. it was Big. Like 7" about. They had it marked as Black synodontis upside down cat. My first reaction to seeing it was like "uh oh. its dead." then after my half a brain kicked in it was " wait a minute. Catfish dont float". It was really cool an dif it wasnt 30$ i would have bought it.

 

[Paul_MTS]

i think you probable saw these Fishy411 http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/bagri...mystus/21_f.php