Synonyms: S. zebra Physical description: An elongated catfish with a large, forked tail. Three pairs of barbels extend from the mouth, including one long pair that are pointed downward. The base body color is white to light gray with swirling patterns of black markings. This pattern continues on all flanks. The head is dotted with small, black spots. The White-barred Synodontis has a large adipose fin. Size/Length: To 12" (30 cm), although not usually more than 6" (15 cm) in aquaria. Similar species: Brichard's Synodontis (S. brichardi), Decorated Synodontis (S. decorus) Habitat: Western Africa; turbulent waters of the Zaire ( Congo) River. S: bottom, middle Aquarium: 48" (122 cm) or 55 gallons (210 L). The tank should have a strong current and have a dark, fine gravel substrate. Only use tough, robust plants for this fish digs. For this reason an undergravel filter should not be used. This lighting should be dim. Provide open swimming areas and hiding places in the corners of the tank. Water chemistry: Use well-filtered water with a pH of 6-7.5 (7.0), dH 8-18 (12), 72-79°F (22-26°C) Social behavior: An aggressive, intolerant fish which is highly territorial and preys on small fish. Keep only one fish per 40" (102 cm) of tank. Should only be combined with other robust fish. A nocturnal species. Suggested companions: West African cichlids, African tetras, Knifefish, Mormyrids FOOD: Live; fish, snails, Brine Shrimp, mosquito larvae, Tubifex, crickets, other insects; tablets Sexual differences: Unknown Breeding techniques: Unknown Breeding potential: 10. Breeding has not been accomplished in captivity. Remarks: The colors of this fish fade with age. Difficulty of care: 5. A large fish that will eat small tank mates. Its diet must include 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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Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009 The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me. |
