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Has anybody else heard the noises that Synodontis notatus makes during territoral disputes? It's a series of five or six short growls, and it's quite loud.

Is this peculiar to S. notatus? None of my other synos make noises, and I read somewhere (I think in the same book which claimed angelicus were attracted to iron) that S. notatus in particular make 'booming' noises.

I think almost all <i>Synodontis</i> will make grunting/squeaking noises. In southern Africa, <i>Synodontis</i> are commonly known as "squeakers" for the noise they make.
As an aside, all other doradoid catfishes, to which mochokids belong (and which includes doradids and auchenipterids) have a well-developed stridulatory apparatus which makes the sound.

I still remember the first night after I bought 5 Mochokiella's; I couldn't sleep because I was sure there were bumblebees buzzing against the glass somewhere in the room at night! I figured out what was happening when I got out of bed and hunted down the source of the sound with the aid of a small penlight......

I'm glad to hear that it's not auditory hallucinations on my part. I was beginning to wonder.

I heard it several times before I found out the S. notatus was the source of it.

If you really want to hear a loud sound, like a big, noisy cricket, net a Syno or Doradid out of the water for a few minutes. While all are capable of it, some species are more prone to squeak than others. I've heard some really striking stridulation from S. flavitaeniatus, normally a quiet, peaceful fish. Perhaps the more defenseless the fish, the more they rely on spooky sounds to deter preadtors?

Dinyar

Platydoras costatus is the noisiest of my doradids. I also have an unidentified woodcat which makes hooting noises.

I know this is straying a bit but I've got a pimpictus that, when really spooked, starts sounding like a vibrating pager or cellphone and it's quite loud( less than costatus and louder than A. grypus)