Description:
Like all members of the genus Synodontis,
S. guttatus has a strong, bony head capsule
that extends back as far as the first spine of the
dorsal fin. The head contains a distinct narrow, bony,
external protrusion called a humeral processand the
shape and size of the humeral process helps to identify
the species. In S. guttatus, the humeral
process is rough, much longer than it is broad, and
pointed at the end. 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. guttatus,
the toothpad forms a broad crescent-shaped 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. guttatus, there are
about 30 teeth on the mandible. Colouration:
The base body colour is brown, and the body is covered
with small, round dark spots. Aquarium Care:
Would need a very large aquarium befitting a large
river species. Would be better housed in a Public
Aquaria setting. Remarks:
Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
due to its limited location.
Common
Name:
None
Synonyms:
Synodontis guttata
Family:
Mochokidae
Distribution:
Africa:
Lower Niger basin. Type locality:
Niger.
Size:
65.0cm. (26ins)
Temp:
23-26°C (73-79°F)
p.H.
6.5-7.2.
Reference:
Awaïss, A. &
Lalèyè,
P. 2010. Synodontis guttatus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. Boulenger, George Albert (1909).
Catalogue of the fresh-water fishes of Africa in the
British museum (Natural history). London: British
Museum. pp. 447–448. Cuvier, Georges (1934). The Animal
Kingdom Arranged in Conformity with its Organization,
Volume 10. Translated by Griffith, Edward. London:
Whittaker and Co. p. 406. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors.
2011. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, version.
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