Synodontis tanganyicae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Synodontis tanganyicae |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Synodontis
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| Species: |
tanganyicae
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| Synonyms | |
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Synodontis lacustricolus Poll, 1953 |
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The Synodontis tanganyicae is a special type of upside-down catfish. It lives only in Lake Tanganyika, which is found in the countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania. A scientist named Nikolai Andreyevich Borodin first described this fish in 1936. Its name, tanganyicae, comes from the lake where it lives.
About the Synodontis tanganyicae
Like other Synodontis catfish, this fish has a strong, bony head. This bony part goes all the way back to its first top fin spine. It also has a unique bony bump on its head called a humeral process. The shape of this bump helps scientists tell different Synodontis species apart. For the Synodontis tanganyicae, this bump is wide, triangle-shaped, and feels rough.
This fish has three pairs of whiskers, called barbels. One pair is on its upper jaw, and two pairs are on its lower jaw. The upper jaw whiskers are long and straight, reaching almost to its side fins. The outer pair of lower jaw whiskers has four to seven small branches. The inner pair of lower jaw whiskers is shorter and also has branches.
The skin of the Synodontis tanganyicae has many tiny wrinkles. Scientists aren't sure why, but these wrinkles are a special feature of Synodontis fish that live in Lake Tanganyika.
The front edges of the top fin and side fins of Synodontis fish are stiff, like spines. The spine on the top fin of the Synodontis tanganyicae is long and almost straight, with a short, dark tip. The rest of this fin has seven or eight soft rays. The spine on its side fin is slightly curved and about the same length as the top fin spine. This fin has eight or nine soft rays. The fish also has a long, well-developed fatty fin (adipose fin) without any rays. Its belly fins have one unbranched and six branched rays. The fin near its tail has three to five unbranched and seven to nine branched rays. Its tail fin is forked, with slightly rounded tips.
The mouth of the Synodontis tanganyicae points downwards and has wide lips. Inside its upper jaw, it has a special patch of short, chisel-shaped teeth. In this species, this tooth patch is divided into two separate groups. On its lower jaw, the teeth are "s-shaped" or "hooked." This fish has between 33 and 49 teeth on its lower jaw, arranged in a single row.
The Synodontis tanganyicae does not have a special opening called an axillary pore, which some other catfish have.
The body of this fish is gray to reddish-brown on top, with scattered small black spots. Its belly is lighter with smaller spots. Many Synodontis fish from Lake Tanganyika, including this one, have dark triangle patterns at the base of their fins. The back edges of their fins are whiter, and their whiskers are white.
The largest Synodontis tanganyicae found was about 49 centimeters (19 inches) long, not including its tail. With its tail, it was about 58.5 centimeters (23 inches) long. Female Synodontis fish are usually a bit bigger than males of the same age.
Habitat and Life Cycle
In the wild, the Synodontis tanganyicae lives only in Lake Tanganyika. The water in the lake is usually between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius (72 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit). The water is also slightly alkaline, with a pH of about 8.5 to 9.
This fish lives in areas near the shore and deeper parts of the lake. It can be found over shells, sand, and mud bottoms, sometimes as deep as 130 meters (427 feet).
Scientists don't know much about how most Synodontis species reproduce. However, it's thought that Synodontis tanganyicae likely lays its eggs during the rainy season, which is from July to October. During this time, pairs of fish might swim together to spawn.
The Synodontis tanganyicae eats small water creatures like snails, clams, insect larvae, and shrimp. They grow quickly in their first year, then their growth slows down as they get older.
