Synodontis petricola

by Jim Greenwald

As an aquarist who's interest has been swayed in the direction of cichlids and catfish for at least the last twenty years of the over thirty on again-off again years of fish keeping; it's not surprising to find several types of Synodontis frolicking about in my tanks. Synodontis eupterus and Synodontis multipunctatus or the "Cuckoo Catfish" (popular nickname) were always long standing guests in my African Cichlid tanks, with a Synodontis decorus or two having been kept here or there. Then I met Synodontis petricola. This handsome little devil caught my attention immediately. "Something different this time," I thought. Similar to the Synodontis multipunctatus. and Synodontis polli, they have a gray body with a black spotted pattern. All of the fins are deep black and trimmed with a vivid white coloration, including the caudal fin. There are several morphs, but the one I now have seems to be the most common in the world of aquarium fish available. They belong to the Mochokidae family of Catfish and are native to Lake Tanganyika.

They are often called "Upside-Down" Catfish because many species will sleep or just rest in an inverted position and because their mouth is positioned downward, they will feed on surface flake at the top of the water in the same inverted manner. This family of catfish is rather large and contains seven genera, unless you count the three genera of Synodontis separately, then it would be ten. Many people are speaking of Synodontis when they refer to the Mochokidae family because this is the largest genera in that family with more than 100 species described. There is a popular misconception that all of these Synodontis catfish prefer hard alkaline water because they come from Africa. Since often associating "African" with Lakes Victoria, Malawi or Tanganyika, aquarists assume the waters needed to be hard and alkaline, which is simply not true. The Synodontis decorus and angelicus, for example, hail from the more acidic waters in the Zaire region of middle Africa. The Synodontis petricola are scaleless with three pairs of barbels like all Synodontis species and the mandibular set is branched. One set is at the side of the mouth, these are also bright white, and the other two are under the chin. All of the fins are pointed except the adipose fin, which is close to the body. The caudal fin is "V" shaped and well proportioned for the overall adult size of two and a half to three inches in length.

Having spoken to several aquarists known for their expertise on catfish prior to my acquisition, I learned that there is not a whole lot written specifically about this fish, even though it has been seen in the hobby for many years. I've also been told that this species is difficult to breed in captivity and as a result quite expensive compared to its more readily available relatives. The little I had found written on these cute catfish told me that they were very difficult to sex, which accounts for many unsuccessful spawning attempts, and that they are native to the Northern portion of Lake Tanganyika. It is told that they often introduce their eggs into the clutch of a "surrogate" mouthbrooder cichlid, who will unknowingly assume the responsibility for them. Although this is common, it is not always the case. The water parameters quoted were: hard, slightly alkaline, 7.5 to 8.2 pH and temperature of 72 to 77 degrees F.

A sand bottom was recommended to minimize barbel damage, as they are always digging through the bottom and inhabit the mid to lower region of the tank. The difficulty level was listed as low to medium for an above average hobbyist and their temperament was reputed to be quiet and better suited with larger cichlids due to its omnivore preference for diet, although it feeds readily on flake foods. It was recommended keeping them in groups and not as individual specimens.

Back to my new acquisition, I chose three specimens of about one inch size hoping for a trio, which accompanied me home that evening, about a month ago as of this writing. Not having the benefit of much literature and only working with advice from fellow hobbyists, I chose a ten gallon grow out tank with some Neolamprologus elongates babies (about 1/2" to 1") as their first home. It had a sandy bottom with a sponge filter and some rock pieces to play in. I was cautious of their preferred diet, in consideration of their tank mates, but haven't seen too much problem, which I attribute to keeping them well fed.

During the first two weeks, I was concerned because their behavior was not normal. They stayed at the top of the tank, wit a rapid respiration and when they did swim about, they were always "scratching" against something. I knew that this behavior was usually a reaction to unfavorable water conditions, but check after check, they met the recommendations. The hardness was medium with a 7.4 pH and there was no sign of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. Yet, I know that catfish will always be the first in the tank to let you know that the water is not to their liking! I consulted with my catfish mentors again and was pointed toward phosphates and other less common distasteful water impurities, no help! As a last thought, I moved to temperature. I did not have a heater in the tank and it stayed at a consistent 75 degrees F as what was recommended. "After this I give up," I thought. Well, I added a heater and it worked! The 5 degrees F difference between the original temperature and 80 degrees F made them into different fish! Now they were swimming about the entire tank, cruising the bottom and mid section, playing with each other. They still were not bothering the baby fish and their appetite for worms and flake was increasing. They even developed little "pot-bellies"! My only regret is that, during this learning curve, I lost one of my new friends.

My advice is to use what you read and are told, but also realize that, in the hobby, NOTHING is carved in stone. If you've been keeping fish for a while, you develop a "gut feel" for certain things and as they say "go with what you know." As for spawning, stay tuned. I think I'll get two more and let you know what happens!

References:
An Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfish, by Dr. Warren E. Burgess; 1989 T.F.H. Publications, Inc.
Baensch Aquarium Atlas, Vol 2, 1993 Tetra Press
Baensch Aquarium Atlas, Vol 3, 1996 Tetra Press