Synodontis pardalis

Last updated

Synodontis pardalis
Synodontis pardalis Boulenger, 1908 1056956786.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Mochokidae
Genus: Synodontis
Species:
S. pardalis
Binomial name
Synodontis pardalis
Boulenger, 1908

Synodontis pardalis is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to Cameroon where it occurs in the Dja River drainage. [2] It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1908, from specimens collected in the Dja River in southern Cameroon. [3] [4] The species name pardalis is derived from the Greek word pardalis, which means "leopard", which refers to the spotted pattern on the fish. [4]

Contents

Description

Like all members of the genus Synodontis, S. pardalis has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. [5] The head contains a distinct narrow, bony, external protrusion called a humeral process. [4] The shape and size of the humeral process helps to identify the species. In S. pardalis, the humeral process is rough, a little longer than it is broad, with a ridge on the bottom edge, and obtusely pointed. [3]

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. The maxillary barbel is long and straight without any branches, with a very thin membrane at the base. [3] It extends as long or slightly shorter than the head. [3] The outer pair of mandibular barbels is a little under twice the length of the inner pair. They have short branches. [3]

The front edges of the dorsal fins and the pectoral fins of Syntontis species are hardened into stiff spines. [4] In S. pardalis, the spine of the dorsal fin is about as long as the head, slightly curved, smooth in the front and serrated on the back. [3] The remaining portion of the dorsal fin is made up of seven branching rays. [3] The spine of the pectoral fin is serrated on both sides. [3] The adipose fin is 3 to 4 times as long as it is deep. [3] The anal fin contains four unbranched and seven branched rays. [3] The tail, or caudal fin, is deeply forked, and crescent-shaped. [3]

All members of Syndontis have a structure called a premaxillary toothpad, which is located on the very front of the upper jaw of the mouth. This structure contains several rows of short, chisel-shaped teeth. In S. pardalis, the toothpad forms a short and broad band. [3] On the lower jaw, or mandible, the teeth of Syndontis are attached to flexible, stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked". [4] [5] The number of teeth on the mandible is used to differentiate between species; in S. pardalis, there are about 15 to 20 teeth on the mandible. [3]

The base body color is pale brown, becoming lighter toward the underside. The head has many small, round, dark brown spots. The body has large round dark brown spots, the base color between the spots forming a light network. The fins are white with horizontal black bands; 5 to 7 across the dorsal fin, 3 or 4 on the ventral and anal fins, and 7 to 11 on the caudal fin. [3]

The maximum total length of the species is 23.5 centimetres (9.3 in). [2] Generally, females in the genus Synodontis tend to be slightly larger than males of the same age. [6]

Habitat and behavior

In the wild, the species has only been found in the Dja River and its tributary, the Libi River in the Central Congo River basin. [7] Its habitat is threatened by cobalt mining on the Dja river. [7] The species is harvested for human consumption. [7] The reproductive habits of most of the species of Synodontis are not known, beyond some instances of obtaining egg counts from gravid females. [8] Spawning likely occurs during the flooding season between July and October, and pairs swim in unison during spawning. [9] The growth rate is rapid in the first year, then slows down as the fish age. [6]

Related Research Articles

<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.

Lake Victoria squeaker 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 budgetti</i> Species of fish

Synodontis budgetti, known as Budgett's synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish native to Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria where it occurs in Lake Nokoue and the Niger. It was first described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1911, from specimens collected in Lokoja, Nigeria. The species name budgetti comes from name of the collector of the original specimen, J.S. Budgett.

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

Synodontis caudalis, known as the filament tailed synodontis, or the whiptail synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was first described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1899, from specimens collected in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species name caudalis comes from the Latin word cauda, meaning tail, and refers to the elongated filaments in the caudal fin of the species.

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

Synodontis caudovittatus, known as the white-finned synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Nile basin of Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1901, from specimens collected in the White Nile, at the mouth of Lake No in South Sudan. The species name caudovittatus comes from the Latin word cauda, meaning "tail", and the Latin word vitta, meaning "stripe" and refers to the coloration of the tailfin.

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

Synodontis courteti is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the countries of the Niger and Chad Basins. It has been recorded in Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. It was first described by French zoologist Jacques Pellegrin in 1906, from specimens collected in the Chari River, Chad. The species name courteti is named after M. Courtet, member of the "Mission Chari-Lac Chad".

<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 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".

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

Synodontis longirostris, known as the eyespot synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it occurs in the Congo Basin. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1902, from specimens obtained in the Ubangi River at Banzyville. The species name longirostris comes from the Latin word longus, meaning "long", and the Latin word rostrum, meaning snout, referring to the long snout on this species.

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

Synodontis macrostigma, known as the largespot squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia where it is found in the Cunene, Okavango, upper Zambezi and Kafue River systems. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1911, from specimens collected in the Okovango River, Botswana, by R. B. Woosnam. The species name macrostigma is derived from the Greek word makros, meaning "large", and the Greek word stigma, meaning "mark" or "spot" and refers to the large spots on the sides of the fish.

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 multimaculatus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis multimaculatus, known as the dotted synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it is found in the Ubangi River. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1902, from a specimen collected in the Ubangi River in Mobayi-Mbongo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species name multimaculatus is derived from the word multi, meaning many, and the Latin word maculatus, meaning spots, referring to the many spots on the fish.

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

Synodontis nebulosus, known as the cloudy squeaker, or clouded squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the lower Zambezi River basin of Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was first described by German naturalist and explorer Wilhelm Peters in 1852, from a specimen collected in the Zambezi River at Tete, Mozambique. The species name nebulosus is derived from the Latin word nebulosus, meaning "foggy", "cloudy", or "full of mist".

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

Synodontis nigromaculatus, known as the spotted squeaker, the blackspotted squeaker, or the speckled squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is found widely in southern Africa. It has been identified in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1905, from specimens collected in Lake Bangweulu in Zambia.

<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 ornatipinnis</i> Species of fish

Synodontis ornatipinnis, known as the barfin synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1899, from specimens collected in Mbandaka, on the Congo River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species name ornatipinnis means "ornate fins".

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

Synodontis resupinatus is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Niger basin and the Bénoué River of Cameroon, Mali, and Nigeria. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1904, from specimens obtained near Lokoja, Nigeria.

<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 smiti</i> Species of fish

Synodontis smiti, known as the longtail Synodontis, or Smit's Synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it is found in the middle and upper Congo Basin. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1902, from specimens obtained in the Ubangi River at Banzyville. The species name smiti is named for Pierre Jacques Smit, who illustrated the plates in Boulenger's works.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ Moelants, T. (2010). "Synodontis pardalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T182789A7969346. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T182789A7969346.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2016). "Synodontis pardalis" in FishBase. June 2016 version.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Boulenger, George Albert (1909). Catalogue of the fresh-water fishes of Africa in the British museum (Natural history). London: British Museum. pp. 442–444.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Synodontis pardalis Boulenger, 1908". Planet Catfish. 22 Jun 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  5. 1 2 Cuvier, Georges (1934). The Animal Kingdom Arranged in Conformity with its Organization, Volume 10. Translated by Griffith, Edward. London: Whittaker and Co. p. 406.
  6. 1 2 H. M. Bishai & Y. B. Abu Gideiri (1965). "Studies on the biology of genus Synodontis at Khartoum". Hydrobiologia . 26 (1–2): 85–97. doi:10.1007/BF00142257. S2CID   24587047.
  7. 1 2 3 Moelants, T. (2010). "Synodontis pardalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T182789A7969346. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T182789A7969346.en . Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  8. ↑ Wright, J.J. & L.M. Page (2006). "Taxonomic Revision of Lake Tanganyikan Synodontis (Siluriformes: Mochokidae)". Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 46 (4): 99–154.
  9. ↑ John P. Friel & Thomas R. Vigliotta (March 2, 2009). "Mochokidae Jordan 1923: African squeaker and suckermouth catfishes". Tree of Life Web Project . Retrieved 19 October 2016.

Wikispecies-logo.svg Data related to Synodontis pardalis at Wikispecies

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.