Synodontis schall • Mochokidae • Cat-eLog • PlanetCatfish

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Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Synodontis schall** (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Common Name(s)	None
Type Locality	Nile R.
Synonym(s)	Hemisynodontis schall, Leiosynodontis maculosus, Pimelodus clarias, Silurus schall, Synodontis arabi, Synodontis maculosus, Synodontis smithii
Pronunciation	sin oh don tiss - shall
Etymology	Synodontis: From the Greek syn, meaning together, and odontos, meaning tooth; in reference to the closely-spaced lower jaw teeth.
Species Information
Size	370mm (14.6") 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. A robust and large fish. Colouration varies from light to very dark gray or brown. Heavy and distinctive dorsal and pectoral spines. Some specimens have reddish tails, as in Synodontis clarias, with which S. schall has often been confused. The ''schall complex'' includes several closely related fishes including S. macrops and S. budgetti.
Sexing	First lay the fish in your hand with its head toward your palm and the tail toward your fingers. Hold the dorsal spine between your middle and ring finger so the fish is belly up and you won't get stuck (Which by the way, hurts like crazy!). The genital pore is in a small furrow of tissue (in healthy fish) and will be obstructed by the pelvic fins. Pull down on the tail gently to arch the fishes spine and the pelvic fins will stand and the furrow open to display the genital pore and the anus of the fish. The male has a somewhat ridged genital papillae on which the spermatoduct is on the back side, facing the tail fin. A gravid female will also show an extended papillae but the oviduct is on the ventral side of the papillae (And may also show a little redness if really gravid). A thin or emaciated female will have just two pink pores, the oviduct and the anus.
Habitat Information
Distribution	Transcontinental distribution from the Nile and Eastern Rift Lakes (Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan) across to West African countries such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, GuineaBissau, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone). African Waters , Nile (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) African Waters , Stephanie (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) African Waters , Rudolf (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) African Waters , Tana (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) African Waters , Uebi Giuba (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) African Waters , Chad (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) African Waters , Nigeria Rivers, Niger (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) African Waters , Sénégal (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) African Waters , Volta (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)
pH	6.0 - 8.0
Temperature	22.0-28.0°C or 71.6-82.4°F (Show others within this range)
Other Parameters	Relatively undemanding.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Omnivore with a voracious appetite. Will eat small tank mates! On the subject of food, this fish is an important food fish and has been from the time of the ancient Egyptians.
Furniture	Driftwood, rocks, sturdy plants such as Vallisneria. Will appreciate a cave of its own.
Compatibility	A rowdy fish. Keep with robust tank mates.
Breeding	Has not been bred in aquaria. Is bred in irrigation canals and large ponds. In nature, breeding occurs during the flood season.
Further Information
References	Systema Ichthyol. - pp385
Registered Keepers	(1) Chrysichthys (k: 2), (2) Redcatman, who also notes: "Another long lived species!", (3) Dinyar, (4) Tracey, (5) psymon1138, (6) jippo (k: 2), (7) Back, (8) coelacanth. Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species. Add this species to your "my cats" page.
Breeding Reports	None.
More Resources	- Search Planet Catfish for more on Synodontis schall - BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts) - Look up Synodontis schall on AquaticRepublic.com - Look up Synodontis schall on Fishbase, I.T.I.S. or ispecies search. - URL (for use in linking to the species from anywhere on the web)
Hits	8793 hits.
Last Update	2006 Jan 04 00:00 (species record created: 2003 Jun 19 00:00)

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