My USD cats

[Cheese Specialist]

Hey, I am following on from this thread and decided to post my own, instead of hyjacking.

My bigger USD is about 4", I have a much smaller one as well and they do look different. Maybe mine is not a USD as someone in the other thread said that 4" is very big for a USD and Ritchie may well be bigger than that. He is a few years old...

The other one I have is much darker in colour and does not have the white spots. Lionel:

Compare the size of the two (sorry it's a bad photo):

What do you reckon?

 

[CFC]

Both Synodontis nigriventris, the true USD cat. The larger one is a full grown adult female.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Thanks for the quick reply, matey! How do you know Ritchie is a female btw (big belly?)? Might have to consider a name change there! lol

 

[CFC]

Yes, females of the species are larger and round bodied compared to the males which are small and skinny.

 

[kaz petts]

Hi
Wouldn't have minded you posting your question on my original thread, that is what it was there for.
Your USD cats are great. Looks like mine could be a female as it is quite large but does look to have stopped growing for now anyway, it has a large swollen belly, I thought it was egg bound but it is now clear to me that this is normal for a female.
Good luck with your USD cats they are amusing fish to have. Watch out for tank mates going missing though, I have lost 4 otos since I my USD cat got to the size she is. I have also lost a golden ram and a green barb.
All the best

 

[CFC]

Synodontis nigriventris does not take fish apart from very small fry, even neons are safe. Their primary food is mosquito larvae and other aquatic larvae and insects. If your fish is eating fish then i as i have said before it is likely to be the Asian upside down cat Mystus leucophasis which is highly predatory and grows much larger. The key ways of telling apart from size is that Mystus leucophasis is a dark grey/black colour with some silver/white spots and has long mobile whiskers rather than the short stubby branched whiskers of the Synodontis family.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Hi
Wouldn't have minded you posting your question on my original thread, that is what it was there for.
Your USD cats are great. Looks like mine could be a female as it is quite large but does look to have stopped growing for now anyway, it has a large swollen belly, I thought it was egg bound but it is now clear to me that this is normal for a female.
Good luck with your USD cats they are amusing fish to have. Watch out for tank mates going missing though, I have lost 4 otos since I my USD cat got to the size she is. I have also lost a golden ram and a green barb.
All the best

Thanks.

My USDs are fine with the other fish, Ritchie (the bigger one) even lets other fish under her bit of wood. Sometimes chases the male krib away but happily cohabitates with my L052 plec especially.

They are gorgeous. I got Lionel when I first set up my first tropical tank a year ago and got Ritchie when I got my biggest tank in January (from the seller).

I read they are better in groups but my USDs don't really acknowledge each other and Ritchie has been known to chase Lionel away from her bit of wood.

Thanks for your help.

 

[kaz petts]

Thaks for CFC for the description of Mystus leucophasis. My USD fits that description perfectly. My larger fish seem to be ok but I have to admit that I have lost 4 otos, 1 Angel, and a green barb. This may or may not be connected to the USD, I have had my USD for some time. I really like this fish but it has to be most definatly a Mystus leucophasis, it is black in colour with the odd silver spot and very long wiskers.
Sorry to CS for using your thread on this one, you had the courtesy to not sabotage my thread and I have gone and done just that to your thread. I should have posted this on my original thread, please accept my utmost apologies CS.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Sorry to CS for using your thread on this one, you had the courtesy to not sabotage my thread and I have gone and done just that to your thread. I should have posted this on my original thread, please accept my utmost apologies CS.

lol, I hope you are being sarcastic there!! I would never be bothered about you doing that, you yogurt!

 

[kaz petts]

I know CS but I suppose it would have been common courtesy for me to have posted my statement about my USD on my own thread instead of yours.
You are a very understaning person CS thanks.
by the way of your beautiful USD cats.