 Cat-eLog Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Synodontis vanderwaali Skelton & White, 1990 |
| Common Name(s) | Finetooth Squeaker, Fryntand-skreeubaber (Afrikaans, South African) |
| Type Locality | Okavango River, Namibia. |
| 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 species is named for the collector of the holotype, Dr. Ben Van der Waal,in recognition of his donations of fish collections from Northern Nanibian rivers to the J. L. B. Smith institute of Icthyology and the Albany Museum. |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 156mm (6.1") 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. D 1, 7; A v-vi, 7-9. Dorsal fin spine about equal length to head length, caudal forked. Diagnostic features are a large number of mandibular teeth (25-41) in a single row, premaxillary toothpad with a narrow ventral shelf, primary and secondary teeth distinct and a very high number of fine tertiary teeth in several rows across the toothpad. Maxillary barbels simple and long, extending beyond pectoral bases, with narrow dark basel membrane, mandibular barbels with short, stubby branches. The humeral process is broad and has a blunt tip, and its upper margin is convex. The base coloration is olive-brown and covered in pupil to eye-sized round to elongate dark brown spots that may run together to form vermiculate stripes and sometimes a reticulated pattern. The head and fins are speckled. |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | Occurs in the Kwando River (Upper Zambezi), Okavango River and Delta and the Cunene River. African Waters  , Zambesi, Upper Zambesi (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Okavango (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)African Waters , Cunene (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Breeding | Unknown |
| Further Information | |
| References | Skelton [P. H.] & White [P. N.] 1990:284, Figs. 5 (a-b) [Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters v. 1 (no. 3). Skelton, P (2001) A Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Struik, pg256. Seegers, (2008) The Catfishes of Africa pg.503. |
| Registered Keepers | None.  Add this species to your "my cats" page. |
| Breeding Reports | None. |
| More Resources |
 -
Search Planet Catfish for more on Synodontis vanderwaali
 - BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts) - Look up Synodontis vanderwaali on AquaticRepublic.com
 - Look up Synodontis vanderwaali on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search. - URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web) |
| Hits | 510 hits. |
| Last Update | 2011 Jan 20 21:12 (species record created: 2011 Jan 13 22:18) |
Registered users: Bing [Bot], ElTofi, Google [Bot], Majestic-12 [Bot], MSN [Bot]
© 1996 - 2012 PlanetCatfish.com, part of the Aquatic Republic Network group of websites. All Rights Reserved. By accessing this site you agree to our Terms and Conditions of Use.
