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Synodontis
''Synodontis'' is the largest genus of mochokid catfishes. It is the biggest genus within the 10 genera and 190 different species in the family Mochokidae. ''Synodontis'' has over 131 different species within the genus. ''Synodontis'' are also known as squeakers, due to their ability to make stridulatory sounds through their pectoral fin spines when handled or disturbed. ''Synodontis'' make a sound that sounds like squeaking by rubbing their spines together. They do this when they have been frightened or when they become angry. ''Synodontis'' may also squeak when they are taken out of the water. These catfish are small- to medium-sized fish with many species exhibiting attractive spotted markings. Some species are also known for naturally swimming belly-up, earning the name upside-down catfish. Some of these species are '' Synodontis contractus'' and '' Synodontis nigriventris''. While some of these species are known to swim upside down, another species, '' Synodontis multipunct ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Upside-down Catfish
The name upside-down catfish is most commonly used by aquarists to refer to the mochokid catfish '' Synodontis nigriventris'' alternately known to ichthyologists as the blotched upside-down catfish or false upside-down catfish. However, a number of other fish may also be known by this name: *''Mystus leucophasis'' – Asian upside-down catfish *'' Synodontis angelicus'' – spotted upside-down catfish *'' Synodontis aterrima'' – sometimes sold as ''S. nigriventris'' in the aquarium trade, but in the past not identified as a separate species by retailers *'' Synodontis batensoda''- ''Brachysynodontis batensoda'' – known as giant upside-down catfish, or squeaker. Found in northern, northeast, and western Africa *'' Synodontis contracta'' – big-nosed upside-down catfish, sometimes sold as ''S. nigriventris'' to aquarists, a species with which it is easily confused *'' Synodontis nigrita'' – false upside-down catfish, very commonly sold as ''S. nigriventris'' in the aquarium ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synodontis Grandiops
''Synodontis grandiops'' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Tanzania, where it is only known from Lake Tanganyika. It was first described by Jeremy John Wright and Lawrence M. Page in 2006, from specimens collected at multiple points along the shore of Lake Tanganyika. The species name is a Latinized combination of the Latin "''grandi''", meaning large or big, and the Greek "''ops''", meaning eye, a reference to the relatively large eyes of this fish. Description Like all members of the genus ''Synodontis'', ''S. grandiops'' has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. The head is about of the standard length of the fish. The head contains a distinct narrow, bony external protrusion called a humeral process. The shape and size of the humeral process help to identify the species. In ''S. grandiops'', the humeral process is narrow, long, and rough in appearance, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synodontis Petricola
''Synodontis petricola'', known as the cuckoo catfish, or the pygmy leopard catfish, is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Burundi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania where it is only known from Lake Tanganyika. It was first described by Belgian ichthyologist Hubert Matthes in 1959. The species name ''"petricola"'' is derived from a combination of the Latin ''petra'', meaning stone or rock, and the Latin ''cola'', meaning inhabitant. This refers to the rocky environment where this species is found. Description Like all members of the genus ''Synodontis'', ''S. petricola'' has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. The head is about of the standard length of the fish. The head contains a distinct narrow, bony external protrusion called a humeral process. The shape and size of the humeral process helps to identify the species. In ''S. petricola'', the humeral process is triangular, rough, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synodontis Multipunctatus
''Synodontis multipunctatus'', also known as the cuckoo catfish, cuckoo squeaker, or multipunk, is a small catfish from Lake Tanganyika, one of the lakes in the Great Rift Valley system in Africa. It is a brood parasite upon mouthbrooding cichlids. This species grows to a length of TL. This species is a minor component of local commercial fisheries. General ''Synodontis multipunctatus'' is one of a number of species of upside-down catfish in Lake Tanganyika, which is more famous for its cichlids. It gathers in large schools at depths of about in the lake. ''S. multipunctatus'' is notable for its breeding behaviour - it is a brood parasite, similar to the cuckoo from which it takes its common name. Lake Tanganyika is home to a number of mouthbrooding cichlids, which care for their eggs and young by carrying them in their mouth. ''S. multipunctatus'' uses these, particularly '' Ctenochromis horei'' and '' Simochromis babaulti'', as unwitting caretakers for their children. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synodontis Clarias
''Synodontis clarias'', known as the red tailed synodontis, or the mandi, is a species of upside-down catfish that occurs widely in the waters of northern Africa. It was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as ''Silurus clarias''. The original specimens were obtained in Egypt, near Cairo. The meaning of the species name ''clarias'' is not certain, but may possibly have been used to mean "bright" or "clear". Description Like all members of the genus ''Synodontis'', ''S. clarias'' has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. The head contains a distinct narrow, bony, external protrusion called a humeral process. The shape and size of the humeral process helps to identify the species. In ''S. clarias'', the humeral process is subtriangular, flat, and rough. The fish has three pairs of barbels. The maxillary barbels are on located on the upper jaw, and two pairs of mandibular barbels are on the lower jaw. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synodontis Contractus
''Synodontis contractus'', the bugeye squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish native to the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. This species can be found in the aquarium trade. Appearance ''Synodontis contractus'' grows to a length of TL. Its body is rounded, modified torpedo-shaped and appears contracted relative to its height. Head is stocky, but streamlined and features a hardened head cap that attaches at the humeral process just behind the gills. Fins are moderately long relative to body length. The first ray of the dorsal and pectoral fins is a stiffened and serrated spine capable of inflicting wounds. Caudal fin is forked. Its ventrally located mouth is wide and has a plate of fused, cone-shaped teeth in the upper jaw used for rasping. The teeth in the lower jaw are moveable. Two pair of long, stiff barbles extend from either side of the mouth and may have additional branches or nodes. The colour pattern is very sim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synodontis Nigriventris
''Synodontis nigriventris'', the blotched upside-down catfish, is a species of upside-down catfish native to the Congo Basin of Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. Appearance and anatomy Blotched upside-down catfish are small, reaching a maximum of SL. Like other members of the family Mochokidae, they have large eyes, a large dorsal fin and three pair of barbels. These fish are adapted to spend most of their time upside-down. This is reflected in the fish's pigmentation – their bellies are darker than their backs, a form of countershading. These fish have lighter colors on the top of their bodies and darker colors below used for camouflage. The lighter colors on the top of them make it harder for predators to see the fish when looking up toward the sky but only when the fish are swimming upside-down. Ecology and behaviour ''Synodontis nigriventris'' are mostly nocturnal, and feed on insects, crustaceans, and plant matter. These fis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synodontis Njassae
The Malawi squeaker (''Synodontis njassae'') is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Lake Malawi. This species grows to a length of TL. This species is a minor component of local commercial fisheries Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often p ... and can also be found in the aquarium trade. See also * List of freshwater aquarium fish species References * External links Synodontis Freshwater fish of Africa Fish of Malawi Fish of Mozambique Fish of Tanzania Fish described in 1908 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Fish of Lake Malawi {{mochokidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mochokidae
The Mochokidae are a family of catfishes ( order Siluriformes) that are known as the squeakers and upside-down catfish (although not all species swim upside-down). There are nine genera and about 200 species of mochokids. All the mochokids are freshwater species originating from Africa. They have three pairs of barbels, with the nasal barbels absent; sometimes, the mandibular barbels may be branched. The lips are modified into a suckermouth in '' Atopochilus'', ''Chiloglanis'', and '' Euchilichthys''. The adipose fin is usually very long. The dorsal and pectoral fins have spines that are usually strong and with a locking mechanism. They range in size up to SL. This group contains many popular species among aquarists, such as ''Synodontis nigriventris'', '' Synodontis angelicus'', and ''Synodontis multipunctatus ''Synodontis multipunctatus'', also known as the cuckoo catfish, cuckoo squeaker, or multipunk, is a small catfish from Lake Tanganyika, one of the lakes in the Great R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brood Parasite
Brood parasites are animals that rely on others to raise their young. The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own, usually using egg mimicry, with eggs that resemble the host's. The evolutionary strategy relieves the parasitic parents from the investment of rearing young. This benefit comes at the cost of provoking an evolutionary arms race between parasite and host as they coevolve: many hosts have developed strong defenses against brood parasitism, such as recognizing and ejecting parasitic eggs, or abandoning parasitized nests and starting over. It is less obvious why most hosts do care for parasite nestlings, given that for example cuckoo chicks differ markedly from host chicks in size and appearance. One explanation, the mafia hypothesis, proposes that parasitic adults retaliate by destroying host nests where rejection has occurred; there is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. However, only about 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses) are given a two-part name, a "binomial". The first part of a binomial is the genus to which the species belongs. The second part is called the specific name or the specific epithet (in botanical nomenclature, also sometimes i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cichlid
Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this grouping. The closest living relative of cichlids is probably the convict blenny, and both families are classified in the 5th edition of ''Fishes of the World'' as the two families in the Cichliformes, part of the subseries Ovalentaria. This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,650 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families. New species are discovered annually, and many species remain undescribed. The actual number of species is therefore unknown, with estimates varying between 2,000 and 3,000. Many cichlids, particularly tilapia, are important food fishes, while others, such as the ''Cichla'' species, are valued game fish. The family also includes many popular freshwater aquariu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
_e_(_Zonotrichia_Capensis_).jpg "Click for more on -> Brood Parasite")
