''Synodontis multipunctatus'', also known as the cuckoo catfish, cuckoo squeaker, or multipunk, is a small

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

from

Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika () is an African Great Lake. It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second-deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. ...

, one of the lakes in the

Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately in total length, that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it ...

system in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. It is a

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 ...

upon mouthbrooding

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 ...

s. 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 ...

General

''Synodontis multipunctatus'' is one of a number of species of

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 numbe ...

in Lake Tanganyika, which is more famous for its

cichlids Cichlids are fish from the family (biology), 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 c ...

. It gathers in large schools at depths of about in the lake. ''S. multipunctatus'' is notable for its breeding behaviour - it is a

, similar to the

cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...

from which it takes its common name. Lake Tanganyika is home to a number of

mouthbrooding Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a va ...

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 smell of spawning cichlids excites ''S. multipunctatus'' into spawning, and as the cichlids lay their eggs the catfish will quickly slip in and eat its eggs before they can be collected by the mother. While doing so they also release and fertilise their own eggs. The female cichlid will hastily attempt to scoop up her eggs and, in doing so, will also collect eggs from ''S. multipunctatus''. These eggs will then hatch inside the unwilling adoptive mother's mouth, and proceed to eat the cichlid eggs present before being released by the cichlid. This technique removes the burden of parental care from the ''S. multipunctatus'', and allows them to breed again sooner.

In the aquarium

''Synodontis multipunctatus'' are a popular addition to cichlid aquariums. They grow to about , and can be bred in captivity provided suitable hosts are present. Some aquarists have had success with host cichlids from

Lake Malawi Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the fifth largest fre ...

and

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...

as well as those from Lake Tanganyika. They can be very aggressive and territorial towards other ''Synodontis'' species, they should be kept in groups over 3 to avoid competition between two, and proper cover and cave-like structures should be provided. They seem to be active in the day as much as the night and can prove quite lively. If kept in larger groups territorial issues are less likely.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q606358 multipunctatus Brood parasites Freshwater fish of Africa Fish of Lake Tanganyika Fish of Burundi Fish of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Fish of Tanzania Fish of Zambia Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Fish described in 1898

General

In the aquarium

See also

References

Further reading

External links