/mochokidae/synodontis/orientalis/1.jpg "Synodontis orientalis(1) - Click to enlarge")
/mochokidae/synodontis/orientalis/2.jpg "Synodontis orientalis(2) - Click to enlarge")
 Cat-eLog Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Synodontis orientalis Seegers, 2008 |
| Common Name(s) | None |
| Type Locality | Kanga, stream in lower Ruvu River drainage, 16 km west of the Ruvu on the road from Bagamoyo to Tanga, Tanzania, 6°33'S, 38°42'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 name is abjectival and refers to the distribution region, which lies in the east of the African continent. |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 88mm (3.5") 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. The base coloration is whitish with large grey-brown blotches on the flanks, leaving only the belly white as well as irregular broad white patches in front of and at the end of the adipose fin. The body is covered in small black-brown dots of around pupil size, dots on the head are smaller and on the rayed fins the dots are noticeably larger and irregular. The maxillary barbels have a narrow membrane on their inner face which extends for about half their length, they are not branched or undulating. The outer mandibular barbels have 3-6 simple branches, the inner mandibular barbels have 8-9 simple lateral branches usually arranged in pairs. The humeral process is slender and triangular with a slightly concave upper and slightly thickened lower margin. The adipose fin is overall not very large. |
| General Remarks | Able to jump over obstacles, a cover is recommended. |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | Africa: Ruvu drainage in Tanzania, may also occur in the Rufiji. African Waters  , Tanzania coastal waters, Ruwu (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Feeding | Wil eat all the usual foods, from live foods to flake. |
| Compatibility | These fishes are completely peacful towards other tankmates. |
| Breeding | Unreported. The locality where the holotype was collected, a small stream, is seasonal. The adult fish must migrate upstream from the Ruvu in the rainy season to spawn. |
| Further Information | |
| References | Seegers [L.] 2008:466 [544] The Catfishes of Africa |
| Registered Keepers | None.  Add this species to your "my cats" page. |
| Breeding Reports | None. |
| More Resources |
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| Hits | 1960 hits. |
| Last Update | 2011 Jan 17 09:31 (species record created: 2009 Jan 21 16:03) |
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