Synodontis rukwaensis

[Dave Rinaldo]

I've had this fish for a few years.
A visit with Dave at Draf prompted me to take these photos.

Synodontis rukwaensis

24cm SL
30cm TL

[attachment=2]

[Viktor Jarikov]

nice. looks big. If ID is right, Cat-eLog could really use these, IMHO. The one in there is quite a bit lighter in color. And there are only 3 pics.

[Dave Rinaldo]

Edited..

[Birger]

Synodontis rukwaensis

is more gray...like in the Cat-eLog, that one is not a one time thing...I would say more like a

Synodontis zanzibarica

or

Synodontis zambezensis

... but have to get to my books first will check back a bit later.

Birger

[Birger]

By the way Dave...what else are you hiding???

Birger

[Dave Rinaldo]

By the way Dave...what else are you hiding???

Birger

[Dave Rinaldo]

Our ID was based on red fins and pectoral extension.

[Dave Rinaldo]

Synodontis rukwaensis

is more gray...like in the Cat-eLog, that one is not a one time thing...
Birger

Those pics are out of water, maybe dead?

[Birger]

Synodontis rukwaensis starts out mottled turns to grey and spotted and then all solid grey. As far as I know only the male caudal turns red when sexually active and even then not always.

all of these are closely related but the two forms I mentioned look like what you have in your picture.

These all have been confused in the past because they are so similar(physically) and some literature may have them misidentified.

Birger

ps.After looking through my books I would still say S.zambezensis which also can have these extensions

[Dave Rinaldo]

From Dave at DRAF.......

Hi Dave,

The reason I went with rukwaensis is that the fish were caught in the Wami
River. Syno zambezensis is found much farther south.

[Birger]

From Dave at DRAF.......

Hi Dave,

The reason I went with rukwaensis is that the fish were caught in the Wami
River. Syno zambezensis is found much farther south.

Your fish is not a Synodontis rukwaensis I can assure you, if you doubt me still you need to get Seegers other book on the Rukwa drainage, full pictures of all stages of development.

I would still go with one of the other species, Synodontis zanzibarica is "known" from the Pangani(next to the Wami river) northward, many of the eastward flowing rivers have this one, wouldn't surprise me to be in the Wami as well. I do think the humeral matches most with this.

My mistake to say to go with S.zambezensis as opposed to zanzibarica
Synodontis zambezensis is more southern as stated, with different localized variants along the way.
As always seems to be the case there needs to be more study done on these.



Birger

[jippo]

I would say rukwaensis too, as I see the humerall match with Seegers book(fully coloured male) and there is not other species which has humerall process like this have(geledensis is closest I think but it is more northern species). Color is different but there might be a different coloured population like other syno's have.