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Hippocampus Bildarchiv (3) Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (1) Karsten Mody (1) Jiku Ngando (1) Frants Lehmann (1 stamp)

Description: Synodontis schall has a shield on its body and has strong bony spines on the pectoral and dorsal fins. Some areas of new evolutionary forces have allowed for the Synodontis schall to have different phenotypes. Recent studies have found evidence for an increase number of teeth and gill rakers which could possibly point to a change from them being herbivores to carnivores. Reproduction: Oviparous. Breeding occurs during the flood season. Aquarium Care: A very robust fish and would need to be housed with large companions who will be able to look after themselves. Even large Pleco's will suffer by this species (editors own observation). Diet: In their natural habitat The diet of Synodontis schall is one of macrophytes and algae, which are the two main types of food for them, fish and egg scales, insect larvae, and molluscs. This suggests that they are omnivores. Also feeds on fish, bivalves in the Sudd and snails in Gezira irrigation canals. In the aquarium they will eat anything and everything!. Meaty foods are relished. Will also eat any foods given to your other tank inhabitants and will also take flake food that floats to the bottom. Feed also tablet foods and frozen bloodworm which they find a favourite.

Schall's Synodontis

Silurus schall, Hemisynodontis schall, Leiosynodontis maculosus, Pimelodus schall, Synodontis clarias, S. arabi, S. maculosus, S. smithii, S. gambiensis

Mochokidae

Africa: Nile basin, Abaia, Stephanie, Rudolf Lake, Tana?, Uebi Guiba (Uebi Shebeli), Chad, Niger, Senegal, Volta?. Also known from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Type locality: Habitat Nilum.

30.5cm. (12¼ins)

22-26°C (71-79°F)

6.0-8.0.

Araoye, P. A. (2000). "Pectoral spine size in Synodontis schall (Teleostei: Mochokidae) from Asa Lake, Ilorin, Nigeria". Revista de Biología Tropical. 48 (2–3): 509–10.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2009. FishBase.World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (09/2009).
Lalèyè, P.; Chikou, A.; Gnohossou, P.; Vandewalle, P.; Philippart, J C. & Teugels, G. "Studies on the biology of two species of catfish Synodontis schall and Synodontis nigrita (Ostariophysi : Mochokidae) from the Ouémé River, Bénin" (PDF). Belgian Journal of Zoology. 136 (2).
ScotCat Factsheet no 147. Sept. 2008.