Ghost Catfish Imposter

[starsplitter7]

Hello all,

I was hoping you can help me identify my new fish, so I can get a few friends. I am not sure, but he could also be a stray.

I have three ghost catfish. I have been trying to establish a school, since I got the first two years ago, but I always lose the new additions. I added two more in September, and just lost one, so I have three. They are large, robust ghost catfish. Very nice, peaceful . . .

I was at the fish store and found a lone fish that looks and acts like a ghost catfish, but isn't one. I brought him home, because I figured he would school with my ghosts, and maybe the ghosts would like his company to fill out their school. He hid for a week or two in the heavy plants in the tank, but tonight I see him with the ghosts. The ghosts hover as a trio midtank. The imposter is hovering with them, and every minute or two makes a circle, and then lines up with the ghosts and continues hovering and swishing his tail in exact copy of the ghosts. The imposter looks exactly like the ghosts except that he has two dark stripes down the body. One is about where the spine appears in the ghosts and runs from the back of his eye all the way through his tail. The second dark stripe is below that one and doesn't quite reach his tail.

Besides the dark strips he is transparent like his cousins. Same whiskers, same shape, same tail, same wiggle. You can see he is trying to be a ghost catfish, but he is impatient with the hovering and turns in a circle and then lines back up. The ghosts seem to know he is an imposter, but don't seem to mind.

Thanks.

[Martin Thoene]

Quite possibly...............

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=2879

Martin.

[piggy4]

Have a look at planetcatfish a wonderful site dedicated to catfishes !

[starsplitter7]

Thanks to you both. Martin you are correct. That's who my little guy is. And Piggy, you are absolutely right about planetcatfish. I tried looking up up there too. My next resot was to ask them to ID him. Looks like a contaminate, but as long as he is happy with my ghosts, we're good until I can find him friends.