What On Earth Is This?

PlatyLady · 12-15-2006, 12:08 AM

hello, all,
A friend of mine bought this guy at WalMart a few months ago. He was sold to them as an algae eater, which he certainly is not. This fish, who they affectionately call John Ho, is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, is black with white stripes, and has spines and what I would describe as a fork tail. He looks like some sort of catfish to me, especially since he has two big, long whiskers near his mouth, he hates being in bright light. The dorms are closing for the semester break, so they were going to put him in a smaller pet carrier to take him home today, but when they netted him, he "growled". I thought they were nuts, so I netted him myself, but lo and behold, he seems to actually make a growling noise when you take him out of the water! Frankly, both my friend and I are creeped out by John Ho, and she wants to give him away to the lfs, but we want to know what on earth he is? I don't have a picture at this time, but hopefully I'll get one soon. Does anyone have a clue as to what this fish could be??

**SueM** · 12-15-2006, 02:32 AM

one of these maybe?............
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_costatus.php

**JustOneMore20** · 12-15-2006, 08:00 AM

^^Exactly what I was thinking. It sounds like a Raphael Catfish to me.

They are also called "Talking Catfish".

Daeorn · 12-15-2006, 08:15 AM

My gf has some of the Raphaels at the petstore she works at, do their front fins look like blades? If so thats them. You take em out of the water and they give off a very distinctive "growling" noise which I think is caused from them vibrating... something.

harif87 · 12-15-2006, 10:44 AM

There are actually a lot of fish that "growl". Most of them dont fit your description, but i thought i would share anyways. There are, for example: Scates, Sand Sharks, Sea Robins..

flamingo · 12-15-2006, 04:57 PM

If its a raphael, you'll never see it., My cousin has had one for about 4 years I swear, and i've seen it only 5 times...

PlatyLady · 12-20-2006, 09:21 AM

yep, that's John Ho alright. He lives in a cave, and that crazy SOB never comes out. I mean never, not even when I picked up the cave to get a better look at him...

MDsaints · 12-20-2006, 03:18 PM

lol i was planning on getting one of them... welp that changes my mind! lol best luck to the tank

flamingo · 12-22-2006, 06:18 PM

Lmao, if you pick up the cave they'll lodge themselves in it with their spines and won't come out even if they die.

cowelder · 12-23-2006, 10:02 AM

Yes there are a few catfish that can do that. Like the Channel cat(a wild kind) we call them fiddlers because they sound like a fiddle..... It's kinda creepy.

PlatyLady · 12-23-2006, 01:05 PM

turns out that John Ho stubborned himself to death. His owner was going to trade him to the pet store, so she was trying to bag him up, but he got caught in the net. When he freed himself, he fell promptly to the carpet, where he tangled himself in the fibers. In the end, he turned into a fish raisin before his owner could get him untangled

RIP John Ho...

Gourami Swami · 12-23-2006, 06:17 PM

You shouldnt net them, they have spines.

Oh, and I have one that I never see... mine is a spotted raphael though

PlatyLady · 12-23-2006, 07:20 PM

well, I know that, but apparently she didn't, thus the untimely demise of John Ho, the striped Raphael Cat...

dilligaf · 06-17-2007, 12:43 PM

Hi There, I have 3 of these little guys in my tank. I hardly see them except in the late evening and at feeding time. Here in the Uk we call them Cory doras or talking catfish. I love them 'cos they appear to have feline-like faces and are sooo pretty. They were about 1 inch long when I got them and now they are nearer 3 inches long. I Have 3 hollow rocks in my tank and they live in one each. One of them has a slightly deformed gill, and we call him 'funny gill' (yeh, ok) . When we did a partial water change recently the rocks were taken out for a short while, and you should have seen the guys panic!! Nowhere to hide, they swam about like mad things, trying to hide under other fish, and each other. I love them, they make me laff.

**Scuba Kid** · 06-17-2007, 05:09 PM

Corydoras are a different group of catfish.

Here's an example:

And just so you know, this thread is months old. Please try to refrain from reviving old and dead threads.
Oh yeah, and welcome to Fish Forums.

12-15-2006, 12:08 AM	#1
PlatyLady Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Antioch/Bloomington-Normal, IL Age: 20 Posts: 73 User Feedback: (0)	What On Earth Is This? hello, all, A friend of mine bought this guy at WalMart a few months ago. He was sold to them as an algae eater, which he certainly is not. This fish, who they affectionately call John Ho, is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, is black with white stripes, and has spines and what I would describe as a fork tail. He looks like some sort of catfish to me, especially since he has two big, long whiskers near his mouth, he hates being in bright light. The dorms are closing for the semester break, so they were going to put him in a smaller pet carrier to take him home today, but when they netted him, he "growled". I thought they were nuts, so I netted him myself, but lo and behold, he seems to actually make a growling noise when you take him out of the water! Frankly, both my friend and I are creeped out by John Ho, and she wants to give him away to the lfs, but we want to know what on earth he is? I don't have a picture at this time, but hopefully I'll get one soon. Does anyone have a clue as to what this fish could be?? __________________ 10 Gallon Freshwater Community: 2 Platies 3 GloFish Zebra Danios 3 Coreys (1 Albino, 1 Paleatus, 1 Green Aneus) 1 Golden Algae Eater

12-15-2006, 02:32 AM	#2
SueM Administrator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Kennewick, WA. Age: 50 Posts: 980 User Feedback: (24)	one of these maybe?............ http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_costatus.php __________________ Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled

12-15-2006, 08:00 AM	#3
JustOneMore20 Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Alabama, US Age: 22 Posts: 3,366 User Feedback: (2)	^^Exactly what I was thinking. It sounds like a Raphael Catfish to me. They are also called "Talking Catfish". __________________ *Kristin* 5 Planted tanks: 55g, 40g, 29g, 10g, 5.5g 10g N. multifasciatus tank, 5.5g Platy fry Last edited by JustOneMore20; 12-15-2006 at 10:04 AM.

12-15-2006, 10:44 AM	#5
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 989 User Feedback: (1)	There are actually a lot of fish that "growl". Most of them dont fit your description, but i thought i would share anyways. There are, for example: Scates, Sand Sharks, Sea Robins.. __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

12-15-2006, 04:57 PM	#6
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 16 Posts: 1,892 User Feedback: (2)	If its a raphael, you'll never see it., My cousin has had one for about 4 years I swear, and i've seen it only 5 times... __________________ Color exists only in the mind. . Am I only a thought?

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12-15-2006, 08:15 AM	#4
Daeorn Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 23 Posts: 78 User Feedback: (0)	My gf has some of the Raphaels at the petstore she works at, do their front fins look like blades? If so thats them. You take em out of the water and they give off a very distinctive "growling" noise which I think is caused from them vibrating... something.

12-20-2006, 09:21 AM	#7
PlatyLady Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Antioch/Bloomington-Normal, IL Age: 20 Posts: 73 User Feedback: (0)	yep, that's John Ho alright. He lives in a cave, and that crazy SOB never comes out. I mean never, not even when I picked up the cave to get a better look at him... __________________ 10 Gallon Freshwater Community: 2 Platies 3 GloFish Zebra Danios 3 Coreys (1 Albino, 1 Paleatus, 1 Green Aneus) 1 Golden Algae Eater

12-20-2006, 03:18 PM	#8
MDsaints Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: PA Age: 18 Posts: 63 User Feedback: (0)	lol i was planning on getting one of them... welp that changes my mind! lol best luck to the tank

12-22-2006, 06:18 PM	#9
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 16 Posts: 1,892 User Feedback: (2)	Lmao, if you pick up the cave they'll lodge themselves in it with their spines and won't come out even if they die. __________________ Color exists only in the mind. . Am I only a thought?

12-23-2006, 10:02 AM	#10
cowelder Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tennessee Age: 17 Posts: 85 User Feedback: (0)	Yes there are a few catfish that can do that. Like the Channel cat(a wild kind) we call them fiddlers because they sound like a fiddle..... It's kinda creepy. __________________ 55gal FW tank, 2 Peppered Cories, 3 Yo-yo Loaches, 2 Bala Sharks, 3 Silver Dollars, 3 Emporer Tetras, 2 Albino Cories, 2 Female Dwarf Gouramis and 1 Male, 3 Hatchet fish, 2 Ottos, 3 Chinese Algae Eaters. I know there is WAY too much in there. 40gal FW, 1 Flame Gourami

12-23-2006, 01:05 PM	#11
PlatyLady Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Antioch/Bloomington-Normal, IL Age: 20 Posts: 73 User Feedback: (0)	turns out that John Ho stubborned himself to death. His owner was going to trade him to the pet store, so she was trying to bag him up, but he got caught in the net. When he freed himself, he fell promptly to the carpet, where he tangled himself in the fibers. In the end, he turned into a fish raisin before his owner could get him untangled RIP John Ho... __________________ 10 Gallon Freshwater Community: 2 Platies 3 GloFish Zebra Danios 3 Coreys (1 Albino, 1 Paleatus, 1 Green Aneus) 1 Golden Algae Eater

12-23-2006, 06:17 PM	#12
Gourami Swami Supreme Dictator For Life Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere out Yonder... Posts: 1,089 User Feedback: (0)	You shouldnt net them, they have spines. Oh, and I have one that I never see... mine is a spotted raphael though __________________

12-23-2006, 07:20 PM	#13
PlatyLady Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Antioch/Bloomington-Normal, IL Age: 20 Posts: 73 User Feedback: (0)	well, I know that, but apparently she didn't, thus the untimely demise of John Ho, the striped Raphael Cat... __________________ 10 Gallon Freshwater Community: 2 Platies 3 GloFish Zebra Danios 3 Coreys (1 Albino, 1 Paleatus, 1 Green Aneus) 1 Golden Algae Eater

06-17-2007, 12:43 PM	#14
dilligaf dilligaf Join Date: May 2007 Location: south wales Posts: 3 User Feedback: (0)	I have 3.... Hi There, I have 3 of these little guys in my tank. I hardly see them except in the late evening and at feeding time. Here in the Uk we call them Cory doras or talking catfish. I love them 'cos they appear to have feline-like faces and are sooo pretty. They were about 1 inch long when I got them and now they are nearer 3 inches long. I Have 3 hollow rocks in my tank and they live in one each. One of them has a slightly deformed gill, and we call him 'funny gill' (yeh, ok) . When we did a partial water change recently the rocks were taken out for a short while, and you should have seen the guys panic!! Nowhere to hide, they swam about like mad things, trying to hide under other fish, and each other. I love them, they make me laff. __________________ Dilligaf

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06-17-2007, 05:09 PM	#15
Scuba Kid Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: RI Age: 17 Posts: 3,857 User Feedback: (1)	Corydoras are a different group of catfish. Here's an example: And just so you know, this thread is months old. Please try to refrain from reviving old and dead threads. Oh yeah, and welcome to Fish Forums. __________________

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