Article © Julian Dignall, uploaded July 01, 2006.

Regular readers of this column might have guessed that I'm something of a fan of Synodontis. They're one of my "go to guys" when I've got a catfish of the month to write and inspiration isn't immediately forthcoming. They're also a bit out of fashion at the moment and I have to admit to not having any in my tanks right now, but that is a rare thing for me - I usually have a few species to observe.

I think that perhaps the most engaging thing about Synodontis is that they are hardy. They cope with the rigours of international travel well and adapt to life in the aquarium with hardly a second glance. This is why they can sometimes attract high prices as well; you know you're taking less of a risk with a Synodontis because they are hardly and long lived.

Therefore I'd suggest that, if you find an unusual Synodontis for sale, even if it is a little pricey, you or are not yet a fan of this genus, snap them up and give them a try! This month's featured catfish is near the top of the list in this regard, they're not exorbitantly expensive, but when they are offered for sale they are a great buy. Due to their relatively small size and peaceful temperament they are a good candidate for a community tank.

Within such a large genus however (despite all those exotic plecos, Synodontis is second only to Corydoras in terms of the number of species available to the hobbyist), this species can be confused with the much larger Synodontis caudalis. Irrespective of the size and colouration of the fish, look to the eyes to tell these two similar species apart, S. robertsi has really large eyes in relation to this size of its head.

Described to science by Poll in 1974 from a single specimen which was caught in the Lukenier River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, its place of origin is perhaps a reason why imports of this species have been intermittent at best. While a shy fish, a giraffe-like colouration makes this an appealing species to keep your beady eye out for when African shipments arrive at your local fish store.

Copyright information for the images used in this article can be found on the species' full Cat-eLog page.

Cat-eLog Data Sheet
Scientific Name	Synodontis robertsi  Poll, 1974
Common Names	Roberts' Syno Large Blotch Syno, Large Blotch Synodontis, Roberts Fiederbartwels (Germany)
Type Locality	Elombe, Lukenie River, Democratic Republic of Congo, 2°49'S, 18°14'E.
Pronunciation	sin oh don tiss - rob ert si
Etymology	According to Cuvier, Synodontis is an "ancient name for an undetermined fish from the Nile". It is not derived, as often reported, from syn-, together and odous, tooth, presumed etymology of the lizardfish genus Synodus and refers to the closely-spaced lower jaw teeth of both genera. Named after Tyson Roberts of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard.
Articles
Species Information
Size	100mm or 3.9" 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 small fish, as Synodontis go. Colour pattern like that of a giraffe, a brown background with white or yellow worm lines. Transparent fin membranes with brown spots. Strongly forked caudal fin. Large eyes. Similar to the much larger (20cm) S. caudalis .
Habitat Information
Distribution	Africa: known from the type locality, River Lukenie, Central Democratic Republic of the Congo. African Waters, Congo, Middle Congo (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Gabon Waters, Egombe (click on these areas to find other species found there) African Waters, Congo, Lower Congo, Kasai, Lukenia (click on these areas to find other species found there) Log in to view data on a map.
IUCN Red List Category	Data Deficient, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2009.
pH	6.4 - 7.6
Temperature	23.0-28.0°C or 73.4-82.4°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters	Excessively low pH (below 6.0) will result in erosion of fin rays and membranes.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	Not a fussy eater. Will accept flake and tablet food. Especially enjoys live and frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. User data.
Furniture	Hiding places provided by plant cover.
Compatibility	A small, peaceful fish that is a model citizen in a community tank. Not very shy, but appreciates plant cover.
Suggested Tankmates	Not good with boisterours fish, ideal tankmate for African characins.
Breeding	Not yet successfully bred in captivity.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Revue de Zoologie Africaine v. 88 (no. 2), pp 442, Fig. 1.
Registered Keepers	There are 17 registered keepers, view all "my cats" data.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There are 3 wishes to keep this species, see who wants what.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 8 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
Forum BBCode
	Search for S. robertsi
	Look up S. robertsi on AquaticRepublic.com
	Look up S. robertsi on Fishbase
	Look up S. robertsi on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up S. robertsi on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator
Last Update	2020 Sep 19 09:29 (species record created: 2006 Jul 01 11:22)

Back to Catfish of the Month index.