What is in the box?

[krichardson]

Yep those are them.These fish seem to undergo quite a range of appearance changes as they mature.I took a good look at the photos on Planet Catfish and the smaller ones pictured look like these so I'm going with the notion that these are juveniles with quite a bit of growing and morphing to do......and, without further ado

I agree that the price was quite steep but I bit the bullet on one.It arrived a bit beat up which was a disappointment considering the price but nothing too drastic.

 

[GiantFishKeeper101]

Yep those are them.These fish seem to undergo quite a range of appearance changes as they mature.I took a good look at the photos on Planet Catfish and the smaller ones pictured look like these so I'm going with the notion that these are juveniles with quite a bit of growing and morphing to do......and, without further ado
View attachment 1409647View attachment 1409647
I agree that the price was quite steep but I bit the bullet on one.It arrived a bit beat up which was a disappointment considering the price but nothing too drastic.

This is infact a Platydoras species, not a Lithodoras dorsalis. By seing its large scutes, this is Platydoras costatus. Iamfish had Platydoras helicophilus if I recall, it had shallower scutes

 

[krichardson]

This is infact a Platydoras species, not a Lithodoras dorsalis. By seing its large scutes, this is Platydoras costatus. Iamfish had Platydoras helicophilus if I recall, it had shallower scutes

I've heard of that species.I think I'm going to have to give somebody a call.

 

[dr exum]

Nice pick up!

 

[Fishman Dave]

This is infact a Platydoras species, not a Lithodoras dorsalis. By seing its large scutes, this is Platydoras costatus. Iamfish had Platydoras helicophilus if I recall, it had shallower scutes

I would agree that this does not appear at first to be a Lithadoras, however my concern at present would be over the size of the fish. If it is currently 8" long then the size throws me a little as this would indicate a full grown very large example of costatus ( the unstriped defined species). Would be interesting to know where it was caught.

 

[Iamfish]

it does look a lot like my https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=7480, and from the Video Preedatory Fins released it seems from Suriname which is where the Sp I have came from,
some pictures of my Sp to compare

 

[krichardson]

Thanks for chiming in Iamfish and I agree that my fish looks a lot like yours.Then there is this,one of the lithodoras photos on PlanetCatfish.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Thank you all. Yeah... Iamfish 's doradid is different.

The fish does strike me as a Platydoras / raphael kind too.

The adult Lithodoras appear to usually have around 18-19 bony hooked scutes along the lateral line. Krich's fish have around 30 or more, hard to count. IDK... I'd be a bit shocked if they can lose so many scutes as they grow up... or actually any at all, perhaps rather gain a few...

The fish in the PCF pic posted by Krich is much older than these guys.

It looks like pic #5 features a younger litho (about 17 scutes I can count), which doesn't look like the fish in question (not to mention the head shape which is obviously different in the lithos, more round, blunter):

 

[krichardson]

Victor you mentioned a contact who has been holding a group of Lithodoras at a facility in New Jersey.Why do you suppose they are just sitting on them rather than making them available to hobbyists?

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

He imports some of Oliver's fish into the USA for the New England Cichlid Association, as a hobby, on a side. He has brought in my 3 lithos from Oliver last Dec (after I've been pestering him and Oliver for 6 months) and now needs to send them to me but IDK when he would do it, he seems to be his own man and answers one in 6 emails, sometimes 6 months later!

He is not selling any fish, Oliver does to the NECA members (of which I had to become), and he only picks up and imports the fish by ground.

BTW bacu / rock-bacu appears to me a very non-descript name used for many doradids in SA's various countries, so it doesn't equate L. dorsalis by any means... I mean it probably could but not necessarily.