toughchicken Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Hi, Recently brought three juvenille whitails (LFS sold as 'small whiptails'). They are still small ranging in size between 5 - 7cm long. Can anyone throw any light on what type of whiptails these little guys may be? Note: as they get larger they are developing more of a sickle shaped dorsal fin. Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatBrat Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Hey, That actually isn't a Whiptail, but rather it is a type of Twig Catfish. I'm pretty sure that they are Royal Twig Catfish (Sturisoma panamense). Cheers, CatBrat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughchicken Posted September 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Hmmm... am very confused. I 'googled' the name 'Sturisoma panamense' and most of the pics have quite a resemblance. However a few websites also referred to it as the 'Royal Farlowellas'. Is this correct? Whats difference between a twig and a whiptail? Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughchicken Posted September 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 I am unsure of the difference now between the 'twig' and the 'whiptail'. You stated that ours would be a 'twig' however, it states on an adelaide aquariam website (quoted below) that all twigs have an elongated nose, whereas the whiptails do not. Our catfish do not have an elongated nose - thus does this make ours whiptails rather than twigs? We still believe that you are correct that it is a S. Panamense. 'Whiptail catfish (Sturisoma & Rineloricaria species) are elongate fishes with long extensions to their tail fins. Twig catfish (Farlowella species) are similar but even more delicate in appearance, and with a very extended snout.' http://adelaideaquariums.com.au/faqs/fr ... ptail.html Can anyone clear up this confusion?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylefish02 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 lol that site is wrong twigs are farowella and real whiptails are all hemiloricaria or rhinoloricaria(spelling) dont believe everything on the net and CatBrat is rite cheers Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughchicken Posted September 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 Okay, let me get this straight... Twigs are Farlowella and Sturisoma, whiptails are hemiloricaria or rhinoloricaria. So a Royal Farlowella is different from a Royal Twig Catfish but belongs to the same genus? Jess P.S. We realise that there is alot out there on the net thats why we are trying to find outs some truths about these lil beauties we brought!! Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylefish02 Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 royal farowella is a royal twig and normal twigs are farowella acus do u get it? cheers Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughchicken Posted September 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 cheers. Thats helped us a lot!!!!! RJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_au Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Jess, The fish pictured is a (Genus) Sturisoma most definately, the species is a little doubtful at that size. There are two very similar,- S. panamense "Royal Whiptail" (often erroniously lables a twig catfish when small), and S. barbatum,,,,some times labled S. nigrarostrum which is an invalid name,,,the Longnose Whiptail. These two are very difficult to tell apart when small, and S barbatum is a lot easier to keep and breed than S panamense. This is also reflected in the price as Royals, S panamense, are usually 3 or 4 time the price of S barbatum, the longnose whip. Falowella arcus,,,the true 'Twig catfish' is no relation and looks totally different. Alan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_au Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 I am leaning toward S panamense and another Aus whip breeder agrees at the moment. If they keep the dark patern high up on the arch of their back and dark bars continue up into the dorsal fin they are Royals. They should also grow long filaments on their pectorals and cordal. Alan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylefish02 Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 ITS A TWIG NOT A WHIPTAIL IT IS CALLED ROYAL TWIG AND SHOPS LABEL IT WRONG AS A WHIP : KYLE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_au Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Crap Kyle ! It is a Sturisoma. Twig cats are Farlowella genus. Totally different fish altogether. Believe me I have been breeding them more than 30 years, and it took me a long time and a lot of money buying the same fish under different names to sort it all out. Forget "Common names", be a real aquarist and use the correct scientific names. Alan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylefish02 Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Crap ALan It is closer to twig than whiptails.I am saying they label it wrong as a whiptail.If u are so good with them than u should be able to tell straight away by that photo that it is a panamese and not go on about how it might be barbatum which it defitnely is not even pc calls it a royal twig and i think the administrators there know a hell of a lot more than you Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_au Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Before you go making profound statemants like that Kyle, get a little experience breeding these specise. When you have spawned and raised a few thousand whips I may bow to your opinion. I am always amiable to change, that is what education is about. In twenty or so years, when you have the tertiary qualifications I have, lets talk about this again. I am not going to pos identify a fish from a single pic of a juvinile when there is doubt between two closely related species. I quallified my I.D. with future developments of the fish's morphology. I'm afaid, with my experience I can't do better. Alan. Alan Hosking-James Dip.PA.BSc.Dip App Sc(Hort) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylefish02 Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 I am saying it is by far closer to a twig than a whiptail.Its like saying a platy is closer to a cichlid than a guppy. Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughchicken Posted September 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Hi guys, Thanks Alan for your imput. We have been reading books etc to try to clarify the situation (particularly by Dr. Carl Ferraris Jr.). It seems that your opinion seems to be more in line with much of what we have read. But in saying this - we will post some more pics and dimensions when they get bigger and we will be able to determine to a more accurate degree what these little guys are. We brought them for about $27 each - so not too expensive but they were only about 5cm when we brought them. The local fish shop stated that the supplier they obtained them from found them very easy to breed and to some extent had them coming out their ears - haha - first time we have seen juvenille whips/twigs like this for sale though. Thanks again guys for your imput. Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughchicken Posted September 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Some more photo's, a little clearer. RJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieCat Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 Sturisoma panamense, these guys aren't to hard to breed but raising the fry and be another story, not for the novice anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilah Posted September 15, 2005 Report Share Posted September 15, 2005 Hey guys. I'd just like to say i think that it is S.panamense. Nice fish by the way. Shane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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