Love those pics Ralf! The expression on the face of the first one you posted is truly endearing!
Henk, I see a consensus has emerged here that these are indeed Pachyhynodius (though a coastal groove count might help to clinch things). Do yours show much aggression toward one another?
I thought of getting one or two to keep in a roomy tank that accommodates my treasured pair of P. brevipes, but they're doing well by themselves and I'm reluctant to take any risks with them, including that of introducing disease.
Travis, yes, proximity to China makes Japan a good place to find Chinese sals on the pet market -- though for whatever reason P.labiatus are sometimes imported from China or Hong Kong via the U.S.! There was a place here that once had Ranodon on sale, but that was 2 years or so ago and the pic remains on the site. I'd guess P. shangchengesis would cost around 50-70 US$ here. (I'm not a potential source though
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Nate, thanks for the info on the toes, I hadn't realized until today that you'd already provided info on the same topic in another recent thread. I think I read somewhere that with Onychodactylus the "claws" are more pronounced in males during the breeding season.