Habitat:Dorsal spines (total): 1; Anal spines: 0. Gill
slits not extending ventrally beyond pectoral-fin
insertions; snout rounded, at most 65% of head length;
post-orbital length at most 60% of snout length; maxillary
barbels not fringed or very slightly fringed at base,
shorter than head, unbranched and without tubercles
or membranes (although a tiny rudiment may occasionally
be discernible at their bases); outer mandibular barbels
with few simple and rather long ramifications; branches
of inner mandibular barbels short, subdivided and
more or less tuberculate; mandibular teeth numbering
31-47 (40 in the neotype); dorsal-fin spine short
and smooth anteriorly; denticulation of pectoral-fin
spines finer on outer than on inner margin; humeral
process narrow, triangular, rather pointed and not
keeled ventrally; adipose fin rather long and distinctly
separated from rayed dorsal fin, its height variable
with specimens; head very broad, snout rounded and
eyes small, in dorsal position. Colouration:
Preserved specimens dark brown; according to Daget
(1954), colour in life, olivaceous yellow on back
and sides, lighter on belly. Body and adipose fin
covered with large black spots, which become smaller
on belly and on other fins. Reproduction:
Oviparous. Distinct pairing during breeding. Aquarium
Care: Would need a very large aquarium to
house this Synodontis as befitting a large
river species.
Common
Name:
None
Synonyms:
None
Family:
Mochokidae
Distribution:
Africa: Upper
Niger, Sudan. Type locality: Mopti,
Markala.
Size:
40.0cm. (14ins)
Temp:
23-26°C (73-79°F)
p.H.
6.5-7.2.
Reference:
Breder, C.M. and D.E.
Rosen, 1966. Modes of reproduction in fishes.
T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941
p. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors.
2021. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2021 ). Paugy, D. and T.R. Roberts, 2003.
Mochokidae. p. 195-268 In C. Lévêque,
D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons
d'eaux douce et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest,
Tome 2. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 40. Musée
Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique, Museum
National d'Histoire Naturalle, Paris, France and Institut
de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris,
France. 815 p.
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