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Catfish
/ Mochocidae / Albert's Synodontis
High-fin Synodontis, Albert's Synodontis
Synodontis alberti | Pictures
Synonyms: None
Physical description: The High-fin Synodontis has a deep, stocky body. It has three pairs of barbels on its mouth. The body is gray to brown in color and covered in small dark
spots. The fins also have spots. The dorsal stands is elongated and grows longer with age, as does the tail.
Size/Length: To 6.5" (16 cm)
Similar species: Feather-fin Synodontis (Synodontis eupterus), Spotfin Synodontis (Synodontis robbianus), Large-blotched Synodontis (Synodontis robertsi)
Habitat: Western Africa; Stanley Pool of the Zaire (Congo) River in Zaire.
S: bottom
Aquarium: A 32" (81 cm) or 30 gallon (114 l) tank is sufficient, although larger tanks are preferred. The tank should be well-planted with a cover of floating
plants to mute the lighting. Provide hiding places with rocks, caves, roots, and wood. Leave an open-swimming area. The substrate should be fine gravel or
sand.
Water chemistry: pH 6.9-8.5 (7.8), 12-30 dH (20), 77-82°F (25-28°C)
Social behavior: A peaceful fish, recommended for a community tank. Does well with any sized companions over 2" (5 cm).
Suggested companions: Mormyrids, Congo Tetras, West African cichlids, Gouramis, larger barbs.
FOOD: Live; Tubifex, insect larvae, aquatic insects, crustaceans, earthworms; pellets; tablets; large flakes; algae
Sexual differences: The body color of adult females fades to grayish brown. Males keep the spotted pattern.
Breeding techniques: Unsuccessful.
Breeding potential: 10. This Synodontis has not been bred in captivity.
Remarks: This fish has the longest barbels of all of the Synodontis species. A diurnal fish.
Difficulty of care: 2. A hardy catfish, whose diet should be occasionally supplemented with live foods.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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