Upside Down Cats...or not?

[Nelson]

Bought several of these from a LFS.  The price was right but the clerk couldn't confirm that they were Upside Down Cats...what do you think?

[BigDaddy]

Well, does the thing actually swim upside down?

I'm not sure.... looks more like some kind of loach.  I've known to be wrong though....

[Nelson]

No they don't.  They're also very active bottom feeders.  I bought them simply because I liked their looks.  I've had a couple of what I was told were Upside Down Cats that are no longer around and they didn't look quite look like these, as far as I can remember.

[BigDaddy]

Well, the reason they are called upside down cats is because they swim upside down to eat mosquito larvae off the surface

If you were to feed your tank only with floating pellets, you'd probably get an idea how they feed at the surface (if at all).

[luvfishies]

Juvenile Synodontis Eupterus. That pattern won't last once they get a little larger, but they are gorgeous fish, and WILL feed upside down, and hang upside down once they've laid claim to a cave to call their own.

[artw]

yeah the silver will eventually turn brown.  I had a couple that were around 4" and they would suck flake food off the surface of the water upside down.
interesting fish.  all synodontus are.

[Nelson]

Identity confirmed...thanks all.

[ambushman2j]

yep, definately synodontis upsidedown cats, I bought a few myself, the 3 I bought last year are currently 6" long and 1 even goes to the top and fights the 30 other cichlids for the pellets and flake

[Marc]

I have two large (7 or 8 inches) synodontis eupterus and they do spend a lot of time upside down, not just when feeding.

One likes to position himself upside down just underneath an horizontal branch from a piece of driftwood.  The other goes amongst the rocks and positions himself straight up and down, with his head down, so he looks kinda like a stick.