Are common bn's hybrids?

[wui39]

I was just wondering I have read somewhere that there are over 50 different species of bristlenose catfish. Is there the possibility that the what we currently breed, sell or buy are hybrids between these different species?

Just raising this because after buying different bn's from different people and breeders, I have noticed some really different colours and bristle types.

Any idea?

Thanks

[Ant]

It is highly possible given no one really knows what species they are.

[Alan]

I got my first Bristle nose in 1968 and have maintained the same line ever since. I have not added any other stock to my gene pool for 37 years.

Seeing as I maintain 60 + breeding females and sell around 1,000 bn per month there have bee a couple hundred thousand fish from my ponds in the market place over the years and none of them are even crosses let alone hybrids. Add to the numbers all the fish that other people have bred from these fish and it would seem that we are pretty selfsufficcient in bristle nose here. To my knowledge none have been imported since the new regs came in in 1980 so I doubt very much if there are any hybrids in the industry here, not withstanding the Albinos of course.

Alan.