Synodontis afrofischeri

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Fischer's Victoria squeaker
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Mochokidae
Genus: Synodontis
Species:
S. afrofischeri
Binomial name
Synodontis afrofischeri
Hilgendorf, 1888

Synodontis afrofischeri, known as Fischer's Victoria squeaker, [2] the marbled Victoria squeaker, [2] Fischer's catfish, [3] or the Victoria synodontis, [4] is a species of upside-down catfish native to Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. [2] It was first described by German zoologist Franz Martin Hilgendorf in 1888, based upon a holotype discovered in Lake Victoria. [4] The specific name "afrofischeri" is in honor of the German researcher Dr. Gustav Fischer, a German explorer of Africa. [4]

Contents

Description

The body of the fish is a marbled yellowish brown, although the amount of marbling varies between individuals, with some a uniform brown. [2] The fish has a dark to black band that traverses from the eye to the mouth, and two irregular light vertical bands on either side of the adipose fin. [4] Juveniles have a very similar appearance to juvenile S. fuelleborni juveniles. [4]

Like other members of the genus, this fish has a humeral process, which is a bony spike that is attached to a hardened head cap on the fish and can be seen extending beyond the gill opening. [4] The first ray of the dorsal fin and the pectoral fins have a hardened first ray which is serrated. [4] The caudal fin is forked. [4] It has short, cone-shaped teeth in the upper jaw. [4] In the lower jaw, the teeth are s-shaped and movable. [4] The fish has one pair of maxillary barbels of varying length, extending far beyond the operculum, and two pairs of mandibular barbels that are often branched. [2] [4]

This species grows to a maximum known length of 17.7 centimetres (7.0 in) TL [2] [4]

Habitat

In the wild, the species inhabits tropical waters with a temperature range of 22 to 26 °C (72 to 79 °F), a pH of 6.0 – 8.0, and dH range of 5-25. [2] It is found at depths ranging from 0 to 70 metres (0 to 230 ft), usually 30 metres (98 ft). [2] It is found in Lake Victoria, Lake Nagubago, the Victoria Nile, Lake Kyoga, the Kagera River, Lake Ihema, the Malagarasi River and possibly in the Kingani River. [5]

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Synodontis membranaceus, known as the moustache catfish, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to northern Africa. It was first described by French naturalist Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1809 as Pimelodus membranaceus, from specimens obtained in the Nile River. The species name membranaceus refers to membranes present on the barbels of the fish.

Fuelleborn's squeaker is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Tanzania where it is found in Lake Rukwa and the Rufiji River basin. It was first described by Franz Martin Hilgendorf and Paul Pappenheim in 1903, from a specimen collected at Lake Rukwa. The species name fuelleborni is named in honor of Prof. Dr. F. Fülleborn, who collected the original sample.

<i>Synodontis nigrita</i> Species of fish

Synodontis nigrita, known as the false upside down catfish, is a species of upside-down catfish that occurs widely in northern Africa. It was first described by French zoologist Achille Valenciennes in 1840. The type specimen is in the Muséum National d' Histoire Naturelle de Paris.

Synodontis ruandae is a species of upside-down catfish native to Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania where it is found in the Kagera River system. It was first described by Belgian ichthyologist Hubert Matthes in 1959, based upon holotypes discovered in the Kagera River at Rusumo, Rwanda. The specific name "ruandae" is derived from its type locality, Rwanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Victoria squeaker</span> Species of fish

The Lake Victoria squeaker is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda where it is found in Lakes Kioga and Victoria and the Victorian Nile the lower Kagera River and the Malagarasi River drainage. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1906, from specimens collected in the Lake Victoria at Buganga, Uganda and Entebbe, Uganda by Mr. E. Degen. The species name victoriae is derived from the location where the species was originally discovered, Lake Victoria.

<i>Synodontis angelicus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis angelicus is a species of upside-down catfish commonly named polkadot squeaker, black clown catfish, whitespotted squeaker, pearl squeaker, or angel squeaker. This species is native to the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. It was originally described in 1891 by Belgian ichthyologist Louise Schilthuis after its discovery in the Malebo Pool of the Congo River. The specific name "angelicus" means heavenly or divine, since juveniles of this species are remarkable for their bright coloring.

<i>Synodontis alberti</i> Species of fish

Synodontis alberti, the bigeye squeaker, Albert's syno, bigspotted squeaker, or high-fin synodontis, 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. It was originally described in 1891 by Belgian ichthyologist Louise Schilthuis after its discovery in the Malebo Pool of the Congo River.

Synodontis albolineatus, known as the mustard catfish, or the mustard squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish native to Gabon and Cameroon, where it occurs in the Ntem and Ivindo rivers. It was first described by French zoologist Jacques Pellegrin in 1924, based upon a holotype discovered in the Djoua River at Madjingo, Gabon. The holotype specimen resides in the Musee National d' Histoire Naturelle de Paris. The specific name "albolineatus" is a composite from the Latin word albus for "white" and the Latin word linea for "line", which refers to the white midlateral stripe of the species.

<i>Synodontis batesii</i> Species of fish

Synodontis batesii is a species of upside-down catfish native to rivers of Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It was first collected by G. L. Bates and described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1907, based upon holotypes discovered in the Dja River, near Bitye in Cameroon. The specific name "batesii" refers to the name of the collector of the first specimen.

<i>Synodontis depauwi</i> Species of fish

Synodontis depauwi is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it can be found in Stanley Pool. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1899, from specimens collected in Stanley Pool, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species name depauwi is in honour of the "conservateur des collections de l'Université libre de Bruxelles", Louis De Pauw.

<i>Synodontis flavitaeniatus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis flavitaeniatus, known as the orangestriped squeaker, the chocolatestriped squeaker, the yellowstriped squeaker, and the pyjama Syno, is a species of upside-down catfish native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo where it is found in the lower and central Congo Basin. It was first described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1919. The holotype was collected from the Ruki River at Eala, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The meaning of the specific name "flavitaeniatus" is "yellow stripes".

<i>Synodontis frontosus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis frontosus, known as the Sudan squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is widely distributed throughout northern and central Africa. It has been reported in Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. It was first described by French zoologist Léon Vaillant in 1895, from specimens collected in the White Nile in Sudan. The species name frontosus is Latin, and means "broad head".

Synodontis marmoratus is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Cameroon where it is found in the Sanage and Nyong Rivers. It was first described by Swedish zoologist and conservationist Einar Lönnberg in 1895, from a specimen collected from Bonge, Cameroon.

<i>Synodontis melanopterus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis melanopterus is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Benin, Niger and Nigeria where it is found at Porto Novo and in the Ouémé, Niger and Ogun River basins. It was first described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1903, from specimens collected at Oguta, Nigeria, in the Niger River delta.

<i>Synodontis notatus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis notatus, known as the onespot squeaker, the one-spot synodontis, or the domino syno, 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. It was first described by French zoologist Léon Vaillant in 1893. The specific name "notatus" comes from the Latin word for "marked", as with a spot.

<i>Synodontis obesus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis obesus, known as the Coas synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the coastal drainages of Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1898. The species name obesus is derived from the Latin word obesus, meaning "fat".

<i>Synodontis pleurops</i> Species of fish

Synodontis pleurops, known as the Congo squeaker, the bigeye squeaker, or the bug eyed synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish native to the upper Congo Basin of Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. It was first described by the Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1899, based upon a holotype discovered at the Boyoma Falls, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<i>Synodontis serratus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis serratus, known as the shield-head squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Nile basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. It was first described by German naturalist and explorer Eduard Rüppell in 1829, from specimens obtained near Cairo, Egypt. The species name serratus comes from the Latin word serra, meaning "saw", which refers to the serrated pectoral spines of the species.

<i>Synodontis soloni</i> Species of fish

Synodontis soloni, known as the scissortail synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it is found in the Ubangi River and the rapids just below Stanley Pool. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1899, from the Congo River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species name soloni is a patronym and in memory of Alexandre Solon, who assisted with the collection of fish.

<i>Synodontis woosnami</i> Species of fish

Synodontis woosnami, known as the Upper Zambezi squeaker, or bubblebarb squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe where it is found in the upper Zambezi and Okavango River basins and the Cunene River. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1911, from a specimen collected in the Okavango River in the Lake Ngami district of Botswana. The species name woosnami is derived from R. B. Woosnam, the collector of the first specimen.

References

  1. FishBase team RMCA.; Geelhand, D. (2016). "Synodontis afrofischeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T60806A47216190. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T60806A47216190.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2016). "Synodontis afrofischeri" in FishBase. June 2016 version.
  3. "Synodontis afrofischeri Hilgendorf, 1888". scotcat.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Synodontis afrofischeri Hilgendorf, 1888". Planet Catfish. 19 Jul 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  5. FishBase team RMCA.; Geelhand, D. (2016). "Synodontis afrofischeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T60806A47216190. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T60806A47216190.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.

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