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Synodontis filamentosus Boulenger, 1901

Image contributors to this species:

Hippocampus Bildarchiv (2) Dave Rinaldo (1) Nathan Cook (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Noted for the long dorsal extension due to the specific name. Description: All members of the Synodontis genera have a structure called a premaxillary toothpad, which is located on the very front of the upper jaw of the mouth. This structure contains several rows of short, chisel-shaped teeth. In S. filamentosus, the toothpad forms a short, broad band. On the lower jaw, or mandible, the teeth of Synodontis are attached to flexible, stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked". The number of teeth on the mandible is used to differentiate between species; in S. filamentosus, there are about 20 teeth on the mandible. Colouration: The colour of the fish is greyish, with small, scattered dark spots, and whitish on the underside. The dorsal and caudal fins have small greyish spots and the lower borders of the caudal fin are black. Remarks: Very rare in imports to the hobby and probably rare in the wild.

Common Name:

Filamentous Synodontis

Synonyms:

Synodontis augierasi

Family:

Mochokidae

Distribution:

Africa: Nile basin, Chad, Volta and Niger basins, including the Bénoué. Type locality: Mouth of Lake No, White Nile.

Size:

20.0cm. (8ins)

Temp:

21-24°C (69-75°F)

p.H.

6.0-7.5.

Reference:

Boulenger, George Albert (1909). Catalogue of the fresh-water fishes of Africa in the British museum (Natural history). London: British Museum. pp. 460–461.
Cuvier, Georges (1934). The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity with its Organization, Volume 10. Translated by Griffith, Edward. London: Whittaker and Co. p. 406.
Seegers, L. 2008 The catfishes of Africa. A handbook for identification and maintenance. Aqualog Verlag A.C.S. GmbH, Germany. 604 p.

Family: Mochokidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Synodontis filamentosus

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