Catfish Id

[Deroplatys]

Hello all,
Heres my first real post regarding the aquatic, my dad had got a nice looking cat fish a while back, kinda nice it is, will try and get some pics, the only trouble is is that we cant remember what it was
The second thing is is that we think it might be pregnant!
When we got it, it was with others of its kind so may have been mated, but its just keeps getting bigger, almost over night it seems, absolutly massive bulging underneath, if it does give birth or lay eggs? what should we do with them?

 

[invader]

I'm 99.99% certain that it is not pregnant. Many catfish gorge themselves on food and can bulge out in the stomach. It's kinda weird looking, now that I think about it.

Anyway, since you don't have pics, what does this catfish look like? Does it have any specific markings or colors? More info will help us on here more, which can help you.

I also recommend looking in the fish index at the top of the home page and trying to find your fish. It might be in there.

 

[severum boy]

Any sort of description would be great, with or without a photo (although a photo is always best).

 

[Deroplatys]

Thx, my camera just wont take pics of the fish tank and its inhabitants for some reason, i dunno really how to describe and what points to look for, umm its has scales, uh and fins
Its has a yellowy stripe down the side, and a white underbelly, toopsides sort of very dark grey. Oh yeah it has spines going all down the side.

Im pretty sure that it got fatter when there was no food in the tank for a few days

 

[prankster705]

Platydoras costatus

Eats like a pig, it's normal, give it a day or two and it'll go back down

 

[severum boy]

Try really hard to get a photo, even a blurry one is fine!
Have a look at some photos of plecs and doradids, does it have the same mouth as them?
Edit, or just google the above name, its the most likely culprit.

 

[Deroplatys]

Yep thats the exact one, thx guys, with the fattening and all i was a little curious as we have only ever had plecs if i remember and they`ve never looked like that, ah well

 

[prankster705]

Glad to be of assistance... They're neat little catfish, grow very slowly and can grow to be very old (some cases of 20 years if I remember correctly), they can be a bit piggy when it comes to eating habits, but that can be expected as they're catfish . They like to have some cover and will become less shy if there is a place to retreat to, also you might not see them very often, but mine seem to be out and about a lot (especially at feeding time - little pigs )