Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Mochokidae (Squeakers or upside-down catfishes) > Mochokinae
Etymology: Synodontis: Greek, syn, symphysis = grown together + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Peters.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical; 13°S - 27°S
Africa: middle and lower Zambezi south to the Pongolo system (Ref. 7248, 52193). Absent from upper Save-Runde system (Ref. 7248, 52193). Also reported from the Luangwe (upper Congo River basin) (Ref. 58032, 82238). Reports from the Angolan Congo basin (Ref. 11970) refer to Synodontis macropuncatus (Ref. 75786).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 15.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 43.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 52193); max. published weight: 820.00 g (Ref. 52193)
The spines are said to be poisonous (Ref. 4537). Found in pools and slow flowing reaches of perennial and seasonal rivers; prefers riverine habitats to floodplains; shelters in holes or crevices or on the underside of logs, frequently in an upside-down position (Ref. 52193). Active at night, feeds on detritus and plant matter such as seeds as well as small invertebrates like insects and snails, and will scavenge readily (Ref. 52193). Breeds in summer during rainy periods (Ref. 7248, 52193). Oviparous (Ref. 205).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Oviparous (Ref. 205). Distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).
Gosse, J.-P., 1986. Mochokidae. p. 105-152. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels, MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 3202)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsElectrophoresesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingNutrientsMass conversion
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