Upside down catfish

[SRC]

I don't have a picture yet, but I have had this UDC for a little over a month.

When I got "it" (I have no clue if it is M or F) it was approx. 1" long..now a little over a month later it is almost 3" long.

When I got it it looked leopard printed (meaning it's coloration) now it has gotten quite a bit darker in the front and is more lightly marked in the back. (still very cute though, and still looks very much like a leopard print)

I don't see it often, which I read in some research I've done that I wouldn't, so I hadn't noticed too much detail about it. (it stays hidden in a cave pretty much lol, I see it's head/tail/whisker (omg those things are long too) ever so often)

Well I needed to trim some grass that I have growing on the cave and so I took the cave out, which of course left the UDC with no place to hide...so it was in full view.

Well when I started to put the cave back in I noticed that it's tummy is kinda...odd looking, to say the least. It's rather large and lumpy. It doesn't look like one does when it is constipated (all tight and bloated appearance) but instead it appears larger then I'd imagine it should be, but it's kinda distended and rather squishy/lumpy looking.

I haven't seen it swim upside down in the tank since the day I put it in the tank and it discovered that cave.

So I pulled it out of the tank and put it in a smaller bowl I had laying around, so I could get a closer/better lookat it, and it tried to swim upside down, but didn't have much luck. I put half of a boiled pea in, but it hasn't remotely given it a second glance as of yet (been over an hour).

Anyone have any idea's on what this could be...or is this just how they look once they get grown?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Phantom Thief]

Hmm... that sounds suspiciously like a featherfin syno, which have extremely similar markings when young. Does it look similar to this? http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...=0&#entry597878

P.T.

 

[Dragonscales]

I have three of these fish, delightful things to watch as they can get quite playful when in groups (which they generally should be kept in). The reason for the reverse colouration is due to the fact that they tend to spend most of their time upside down as they get older, it's quite normal and nothing to worry about. It is used to better blend in with their surroundings while swimming upside down along the surface to eat insects.

As for the bloated stomach, I also wouldn't be overly worried about that as I'd think that you have a female on your hands, the only distinguishing way to tell sex with these fish is due to a female's "bloated" appearence as it gets older. It is caused by eggs being stored in the fish and shouldn't cause any problems (I myself have this in two of mine).

If you get two or more to put in your tank you should start seeing a bit more of them as they tend to shoal with each other and this can help greatly in alleviating their shyness.

Hope this helps some and good luck with your fish, they are a great fish to own

 

[SRC]

No..this fish has a much more distinct leopard print pattern to its skin.

This is not my fish..but this is what it's pattern looks like

I wondered if maybe it was a girl and had eggs..but you can't ever tell lol (especially since I dunno if it's a F or M).

Can the eggs just stay there like that? Will they not casue any problems by not being expelled, or will she expel them...if it is eggs?

Unfortunately I don't have a large enough tank to put anymore in with it...I am close or at capacity as it is (people keep giving me fish..just had someone give me 4 Harlequin Raspbora's, a otto cat, and a striped cory tonight actually (their tank was cracking..so they needed a home rather quick) ..added to my 8 neons, golden cory, a ghost shrimp, and the UPC ).

Hopefully that is what it is..eggs..and I hope they don't cause any problems.

THANKS!!!

 

[Dragonscales]

Looks like Synodontis Nigriventris as far as I can tell. The only other possibility as far as I can see is Synodontis Contractus which is more lined than dotted (it is hard to find accurate info on this fish as it is often confused with Nigriventris, I have both species as far as I can tell from research I have done, and the only distinguishable way to tell sex in both is by the "bloated" look of the female's stomach as it gains age). I am certain beyond a shadow of doubt that you have Nigriventris if your fish looks like the one in the pic. CFC may be able to second my oppinion if he reads this or if you ask him.

Either way, the bloated look shouldn't affect the fish in any way, it is completely normal for the females to look that way (unless younger, or perhaps after mating, at which time she'd lose the eggs and therefore the bloated appearance) and unless they had an internal problem of an egg getting lodged or similar (which I don't think you could do much about if it did happen) then she should be fine.