Driftwood Catfish Identification Mystery

SorubimLima · Post by **SorubimLima** » 06 Feb 2006, 01:34

Please, please let this topic be in the right forum. On a trip a couple of weeks ago to the Shedd Aquarium, me and my brother were fascinated by a group of driftwood catfish with cobalt blue eyes, and a creamy stomach with an orange and brown mottled pattern all over its body. We believe that it may be a Ageneiosus sp. "llanos" but we are not positive. Any good pix or knowledge of what this catfish could be is appreciated by us.
SorubimLima

Mike_Noren · Post by **Mike_Noren** » 06 Feb 2006, 02:03

I hope I'm not insulting you here, but to me that sounds like Tatia perugiae?
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/au ... /367_F.PHP

For comparison, here's planetcatfishs image of Ageneiosus sp. llanos:
http://www.planetcatfish.com/images/ful ... s%60/1.jpg

SorubimLima · Post by **SorubimLima** » 06 Feb 2006, 03:06

Mike, you aren't insulting me, but the Tatia has too much coloring of brown and orange. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough on my description. It had orange and brown streaks all over a cream background. And when I say it had blue eyes, I mean like clear sky blue. It possibly was a hybrid but that seemed unlikely to me. There was no identification at the Shedd and the staff do not know what it is. It was about 4 inches long when I saw it. Thanks,
SorubimLima

Post by **Silurus** » 06 Feb 2006, 03:10

Does it have a flat snout like Ageneiosus, or a blunt, rounded one as in other auchenipterids? AFAIK, only Ageneiosus tend to have bluish eyes.

SorubimLima · Post by **SorubimLima** » 06 Feb 2006, 03:14

Silurus, it had a rounded snout in the shape of a semicircle, the nose wasn't fat but it wasn't really thick. Silurus can you give me a scientific or common name of anything you had in mind? I am about 90 percent sure that it was an ageneiosus from the pix in the Cat-e-log. Thanks for the input.
SorubimLima

Post by **Silurus** » 06 Feb 2006, 03:22

At this stage, it would be difficult to say anything more without a picture.

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 06 Feb 2006, 08:12

I don't think it is very likely (because of the blue eyes), but did you check the entry on Tetranematichthys quadrifilis in Auchenipteridae? The colour pattern you describe matches however and the fact that you call it a possible hybrid (which I think is very unlikely) made me think of the fact that Tetranematichthys has features of both Ageneiosus and Trachelyopterus.
And maybe younger Tetranematichthys do have blue eyes; I can't tell you that.

SorubimLima · Post by **SorubimLima** » 06 Feb 2006, 23:06

Nope, but this is getting close. I may be able to get a pic I took of it, but it most likely be very good because the cat in question was small and was constantly moving.
SorubimLima

Post by **Marc van Arc** » 07 Feb 2006, 17:52

SorubimLima wrote:I may be able to get a pic I took of it

Well come on then! Now you've made me curious. Don't worry that it may not be good enough; it's not for the Cat-eLog but for determination