/mochokidae/synodontis/acanthoperca/1.jpg "Synodontis acanthoperca(1) - Click to enlarge")
/mochokidae/synodontis/acanthoperca/2.jpg "Synodontis acanthoperca(2) Dorsal view - Click to enlarge")
/mochokidae/synodontis/acanthoperca/3.jpg "Synodontis acanthoperca(3) Ventral view - Click to enlarge")
 Cat-eLog Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Synodontis acanthoperca Friel & Vigliotta, 2006 |
| Common Name(s) | Scissortail Syno |
| Type Locality | Gabon, Haut-Ogôoué Province, Ogôoué River at and below the Rapids of Massoukou (Masuku), 1°39’30”S 13°32’14”E |
| Pronunciation | sin oh don tiss |
| Etymology | Synodontis: From the Greek syn, meaning together, and odontos, meaning tooth; in reference to the closely-spaced lower jaw teeth. The specific name is a Latinized combination of the Greek acantha, meaning a thorn and the Latin opercul, meaning a cover or lid, alluding to the distinctive opercular spines developed by mature males in this species. |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 46mm (1.8") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp. |
| Identification | All species in the genus Synodontis have a hardened head cap that has attached a process (humeral process) which is situated behind the gill opening and pointed towards the posterior. The dorsal fin and pectoral fins have a hardened first ray which is serrated. Caudal fin is always forked. There is one pair of maxillary barbels, sometimes having membranes and occasionally branched. The two pairs of mandibular barbels are often branched and can have nodes attached. The cone-shaped teeth in the upper jaw are short. S-shaped and movable in the lower jaw. These fish produce audible sounds when disturbed rubbing the base of the pectoral spine against the pectoral girdle. Synodontis acanthoperca is a relatively small species that can be distinguished from all congeners except Synodontis punu by a distinctive pigmentation pattern that includes a pair of dark patches on the caudal fin. One patch is present in the middle of each lobe of the fin. Furthermore, this species and also Synodontis punu are distinguished by the presence of a well developed opercular spine in sexually mature males. In all other mochokid species the opercle lacks such well-developed ornamentation and sexual dimorphism of the opercle is unknown. |
| Sexing | According to the original description, males have well developed opercular spines. |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | From original description: This species is known from two sites within the Ogôoué River basin of Gabon. The type locality is the Rapids of Massoukou (Masuku) on the Ogôoué River near Franceville and a second population has been collected in rapids on the Louétsi River near Bongolo (Fig. 4). Given the significant river distance between these sites (> 500 km), we speculate that S. acanthoperca is widely distributed in the upper Ogôoué basin wherever similar rapid habitats exist. African Waters  , Gabon Waters, Ogowe (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Breeding | Unreported. |
| Further Information | |
| References | Zootaxa 1125: 45–56 (2006) |
| Registered Keepers | None.  Add this species to your "my cats" page. |
| Breeding Reports | None. |
| More Resources |
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| Hits | 3264 hits. |
| Last Update | 2011 May 18 06:50 (species record created: 2009 Jan 01 12:21) |
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