Melanism in S. petricola?

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 30 Apr 2003, 13:57

Is there melanism in S. petricola?

Last week I bought a petricola which differed from all the rest in being almost black, with crisp white fin edges. If it is indeed a petricola; there were also misidentified multipunctatus in the tank, and two other synos I couldn't identify.

BTW is the equivalent of $40 U.S. a fair price for petricolas?

Post by **Silurus** » 30 Apr 2003, 14:14

Not that I know of. Got a pic? This would be interesting.
Could it be a Synodontis granulosus by any chance (see pic below)? These things are horribly expensive so if you've got one for $40, that's a real steal.

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 30 Apr 2003, 14:36

That did cross my mind, but the white fin edges are the same as petricola; e.g. white on the leading edge of the dorsal. Also, when I got it home it was pale from stress, and I could see spots.

When I get hold of a digital camera I'll take a picture.

Post by **Dinyar** » 30 Apr 2003, 16:59

Have never seen a black S. petricola, if that's what you mean. FWIW, S. granulosus also have spots.

Dinyar

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 01 May 2003, 18:33

It's a dimly-lit mystery syno if there ever was one. If I shine a bright flashlight on it I can see spots, but under normal room light, hardly at all. I didn't know granulosus had spots; maybe it is in fact a granulosus. In which case I'll break out the champagne.

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 01 May 2003, 19:02

Granulosus however always have the white edges on the back end of the fins; and their pectoral and dorsal spines are jetblack.
Your syno has the white edges on the front part, you say; as in white spines and black fins.

Of ALL the Tanganyikan Syno's; ONLY petricola and the varieties/subspecies of that particular species (such as the Giant petricola and the Dwarf) have a white dorsal spine. ALL the others, including baby- and juvenile Zambian Polli, have a black spine in the dorsal. Some Tangsyno's have a thin, white edge on the pectoral spines when juvenile (Zambian Polli and True Polli for example, maybe baby- or juvenile dhonti/tanganicae as well?), but never as conspicious as the broad white band on pectoral spines that the petricola and it's allies have.

How big is your mystery syno?
And does it has the stretched build; small eyes; short, thin whiskers and wide mouth; wich are characteristics of petricola? (and polli, tanganicae etc)
Or does it have the big eyes; smaller mouth; higher build and longer whiskers, wich are the characteristics of Granulosus, multipunctatus etc?

we COULD be dealing with a hybrid here....god forbid, but some $#$#@#$ might have attempted to crossbreed petricola with granulosus.....

Where did you get it?

Post by **Dinyar** » 01 May 2003, 19:21

Debating fish we can't see pictures of is like debating the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin. Post a picture, Chrysichthys!

Dinyar

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 02 May 2003, 18:49

I would love to, but I don't have a digital camera. You wouldn't be able to see the spots in a photo, just a black body.

It's about 3.5 inches and matches the petricola characteristics. I got it at Shirley Aquatics in Birmingham England. I doubt that it's a man-made hybrid because it was in a tank with petricola of normal colouration. If it was a hybrid you would think there would have been a tank full of them.

I would imagine a natural hybrid is unlikely because they don't share a habitat, and petricola's a cuckoo breeder, isn't it?

I suppose I could try to sell it as a granulosus....

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 02 May 2003, 18:55

Petricola is NOT a chuckoo breeder, only multipunctatus and its' close allies (like the smaller cf multipunctatus or the "goldeneye") are chuckoo catfish wich use mouthbreeding cichlids.

Petricola usually is an eggscatterer, but it can and does abuse the not-so-smart cavebrooding cichlids when given the chance.

Post by **Dinyar** » 02 May 2003, 19:31

C'mon Chrysichthys, you owe yourself a digicam! How about as a Labor Day present? (Do you celebrate Labor Day on May 1 in the UK?) Even Sid and Silurus have recently picked up digicams!

No, seriously, it could well be a S. petricola. Some are very dark. But can't say more than that without looking at a photo.

Dinyar

Post by **Silurus** » 02 May 2003, 19:34

...or at least have a friend who has a digicam take a pic.
C'mon, prove some of us wrong....

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 07 May 2003, 15:32

It could be a brand new species, Synodontis pepsicola. That would explain the dark colouration.