''Synodontis contractus'', the bugeye squeaker, is a 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 number ...

native to the

Congo Basin The Congo Basin (french: Bassin du Congo) is the sedimentary basin of the Congo River. The Congo Basin is located in Central Africa, in a region known as west equatorial Africa. The Congo Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Congo. It con ...

of the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

and the

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

. This species can be found in the

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

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 similar to the '' Synodontis nigriventris''. The main differences being that this species has a bigger head, broader mouth and far larger eyes. ''Synodontis contractus'' is one of those catfish which can produce squeaking sounds by brushing the base of their pectoral spine against their pectoral girdle.

In aquarium

Suitable water conditions are near-neutral pH (6.2 - 7.6) and temperature in range of . Bugeye squeakers can be fed with live and frozen food, including some vegetable matter. This species is best kept in a dimly lit aquarium with a soft bottom substrate and rocks, pieces of driftwood and twisted roots arranged to form hiding places. Broad-leaved plants, such as

Anubias ''Anubias'' is a genus of aquatic and semi-aquatic flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical central and western Africa. They primarily grow in rivers and streams, but can also be found in marshes. They are characterized by broad ...

Echinodorus ''Echinodorus'', commonly known as burhead or Amazon sword, is a genus of plants in the family Alismataceae, native to the Western Hemisphere from the central United States to Argentina. Its scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek ' – " ...

and floating vegetation are also recommended, as the fish like to roost under these.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1073941 contractus Catfish of Africa Fish of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Fish of the Republic of the Congo Fish described in 1928 Taxa named by Decio Vinciguerra