Synodontis petricola

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Synodontis petricola
Synodontis petricola.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Mochokidae
Genus: Synodontis
Species:
S. petricola
Binomial name
Synodontis petricola
Matthes, 1959

Synodontis petricola, known as the cuckoo catfish, [2] or the pygmy leopard catfish, [3] 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. [2] [4] It was first described by Belgian ichthyologist Hubert Matthes in 1959. [4] 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. [3]

Contents

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. [5] The head is about 3⁄10 of the standard length of the fish. [4] The head contains a distinct narrow, bony external protrusion called a humeral process. [3] The shape and size of the humeral process helps to identify the species. In S. petricola, the humeral process is triangular, rough, and is covered in many small, thin papillae. [4] The bottom edge has a poorly-defined ridge on the bottom edge, and the top edge is convex. [4] The humeral process ends in a sharp point. [4] It is about 1⁄2 of the length of the head. [4] The diameter of the eye is about 1⁄9 of the length of the head. [4]

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 has a narrow membrane attached near the base and is straight without any branches. [4] It extends at least as far as the base of the pectoral spine, about 3⁄4 of the length of the head. [4] The outer pair of mandibular barbels extends just past the start of the pectoral girdle, about 1⁄2 of the length of the head, [4] and contains four to seven simple branches, usually without any secondary branches. [4] The inner pair of mandibular barbels is about 1⁄3 to 2⁄3 as long as the outer pair, about 1⁄4 of the length of the head, [4] with four to six branches, with many secondary branches present. [4]

The skin of S. petricola has a large number of tiny vertical skin folds. The exact purpose of the skin folds is not known, but is a characteristic of the species of Syndontis that are endemic to Lake Tanganyika. [4] External granular papilla are present on the head, but not the body. [4]

The front edges of the dorsal fins and the pectoral fins of Syntontis species are hardened into stiff spines. [3] In S. petricola, the spine of the dorsal fin is long, about 3⁄4 as long as the head, [4] is slightly curved, is smooth on the front and with fine serrations the back, and ends with short, white filament. [4] The remaining portion of the dorsal fin is made up of seven dark branching rays. [4] The spine of the pectoral fin is slightly curved, roughly as long as the dorsal fin spine, with large serrations on the back side. [4] The pectoral spine ends in short, white filament. [4] The rest of the pectoral fins are made up of eight to nine branching rays. [4] The adipose fin is large, does not contain any rays, and has a convex shape. [4] The pelvic fin contains one unbranched and six branched rays. [4] The front edge of the pelvic fin is vertically aligned midway between with the back edge of the dorsal fin and the front edge of the adipose fin. [4] The anal fin contains three to four unbranched and seven to nine branched rays; it is vertically aligned with the center of the adipose fin. [4] The tail, or caudal fin, is forked, with rounded lobes, and contains eight rays on the upper lobe, nine rays on the lower lobe. [4]

The mouth of the fish faces downward and has wide lips that contain papilla. [4] 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 some species, this toothpad is made up of a large patch with several rows in a large cluster. In other species of Syndontis, this toothpad is clearly divided into two separate groups, separated by a thin band of skin that divides the toothpad. [4] This character is used as a method of differentiating between to different but similar species of Syndontis. [4] In S. petricola, the toothpad is interrupted, or clearly divided between the groups of teeth on the toothpad. [4] On the lower jaw, or mandible, the teeth of Syndontis are attached to flexible, stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked". [3] [5] The number of teeth on the mandible is used to differentiate between species; in S. petricola, there are 31 to 50 teeth on the mandible, arranged in a six short rows. [4]

Some of the species of Synodontis have an opening or series of openings called the axillary pore. It is located on the side of the body below the humeral process and before the pectoral fin spine. The exact function of the port is not known to scientists, although its presence has been observed in seven other catfish genera. Fish in the genus Acrochordonichthys have been observed to secrete a mucus with toxic properties from their axillary pore, but there is no scientific consensus as to the exact purpose of the secretion or the pore. [4] S. petricola has a small axillary pore just below the humeral process. [4]

The back of the fish is yellowish to copper-brown and is covered with large, irregularly-shaped black spots. [4] In juveniles, these spots can appear larger and sometimes intersect. [4] The underside of the fish is lighter, with small, irregularly shaped spots. Most of the species of Synodontis of Lake Tanganyika have a recognizable pattern consisting of dark triangles at the bases of all of the rayed fins, present in S. petricola, and the back edges of the fins are white in color. [4] The caudal fin has a black bar that runs from the base of each lobe to the top of the fin. [4] The barbels are white. [4]

The maximum standard length of all known specimens is 11.5 centimetres (4.5 in) and a total length of 13.5 centimetres (5.3 in). [2] [4] In general in Synodontis species, females tend to be slightly larger than males of the same age. [6]

Habitat and behavior

In the wild, the species is endemic to Lake Tanganyika, which has a temperature range of 23 to 26 °C (73 to 79 °F), and an approximate pH of 8.5 – 9, and dH range of 4–15. [7] It inhabits rocky shorelines in the littoral zone, to a maximum depth of 30 metres (98 ft). [4] The reproductive habits of most of the species of Synodontis are not known, beyond some instances of obtaining egg counts from gravid females. [4] Spawning likely occurs during the flooding season between July and October, and pairs swim in unison during spawning. [8] Juveniles appear to be carnivorous, feeding on water mites, seed shrimp, and insect larvae. Adults feed on algae scraped from rocks as well as small invertebrates. [4] The growth rate is rapid in the first year, then slows down as the fish age. [6] The pygmy leopard catfish practices brood parasitism. It lives among rock piles frequented by various species of Mbuna: small African cichlids. Courtship behaviour culminates with the female sucking sperm from the male's cloaca. She brings the sperm through her digestive tract to her cloaca, where her eggs meet the sperm. She then rushes into the nest of a cichlid, devours the eggs, and deposits her own. The cichlids then raise the catfish as their own.

Related Research Articles

Synodontis dhonti is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it is only known from Lake Tanganyika. It was first described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1917, based upon a single specimen collected from Lake Tanganyika at Kilewa Bay, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species is named after M.G. Dhont-De Bie, who accompanied the collector, Dr. L. Stappers, on his expedition. At one point, identified specimens Synodontis irsacae was believed to be juvenile individuals of S. dhonti and the two were considered to be the same species, but further research has identified differences between the two species and they are once again recognized as distinct from each other.

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

Synodontis granulosus is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Zambia, and Tanzania, where it is only known from Lake Tanganyika. It was first described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1900, from specimens collected at multiple points along the shore of Lake Tanganyika. The species name comes from the Latin word "granulum", meaning of grain, and refers to the granular papillae present on the skin of the fish's body.

Synodontis polli, known as Poll's synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Zambia, and Tanzania, where it is only known from Lake Tanganyika. It was first described by Belgian ichthyologist Jean-Pierre Gosse in 1982, from specimens collected at multiple points along the shore of Lake Tanganyika.

<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 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 filamentosus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis filamentosus, known as the longfin synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the basins of the Nile, Volta and Niger Rivers as well as the Chad Basin. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1901, from specimens obtained near the mouth of Lake No, on the White Nile in Sudan. The species name filamentosus comes from the elongated rays of the dorsal and caudal fins.

<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 grandiops</i> Species of fish

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.

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

Synodontis guttatus is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Niger River basin of Nigeria. It was first described by German ichthyologist Albert Günther in 1865, from the Niger River. The species name guttatus is the Latin word for "spotted", referring to the spots appearing on the fins and body of the fish.

Synodontis ilebrevis is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Zambia, 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 from Lake Tanganyika at Cape Chaitika, Zambia. The species name comes from the Latin word "ile", meaning intestine, and the Latin word "bevis", meaning short, and refers to the relatively short gut of this species.

<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 omias</i> Species of fish

Synodontis omias is a species of upside-down catfish native to the Niger River basin of Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. It was first described by German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist Albert Günther in 1864, from a specimen collected in Jebba, Nigeria, on the Niger River. There have been very few specimens of this species identified, and it may be the same species as S. budgetti from the Upper Niger.

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

Synodontis sorex is a species of upside-down catfish that is widely distributed in the rivers of northern Africa. It was first described by German zoologist Albert Günther in 1864, from specimens obtained in the upper Nile River, near Khartoum, Sudan. The species name sorex comes from the Latin word for shrew or shrew-mouse, the allusion was not explained. It possibly describes the pointed snout or the long, slender teeth.

Synodontis tanganyicae is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania, where it is only known from Lake Tanganyika. It was first described by Russian-American ichthyologist Nikolai Andreyevich Borodin in 1936, from specimens collected at Kasaga, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species name tanganyicae comes from the habitat of the species, Lake Tanganyika.

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

Synodontis zambezensis, known as the brown squeaker, the korokoro, or the plain squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the middle and lower Zambezi River system of Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was first described by German naturalist and explorer Wilhelm Peters in 1852, from specimens collected in the Zambezi River in Mozambique. The species name zambezensis is derived from the Zambezi River, where this species is found.

Synodontis lucipinnis is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Zambia, where it is only known from the Musende Rocks area (Mpulungu) of Lake Tanganyika. It was first described by Jeremy John Wright and Lawrence M. Page in 2006. The species name "lucipinnis" is derived from a combination of the Latin luci, meaning bright or clear, and the Latin pinnis, meaning fin. This refers to the light coloration in a patch on the base of the fins of this species.

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

Synodontis melanostictus is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Lake Tanganyika and its tributaries. It has been found in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1906, based upon a specimen from the Lofubu River. The species name "melanostictus" is derived from a combination of the Greek melano, meaning black, and the Greek stiktos, meaning punctured or spotted. This refers to the black spotted pattern that occurs on the body of this species.

Synodontis irsacae is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to 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, from specimens collected from Lake Tanganyika at Kalundu, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species name " irsacae" is derived from the abbreviation "I.R.S.A.C.", or Institut pour la Recherche Scientifique en Afrique Centrale. For many years, specimens of the species were considered to be juvenile members of S. dhonti, but in 2006, J.J. Wright and L.M. Page identified unique characteristics of this species that established that they were a unique species.

References

  1. ↑ Ntakimazi, G. (2006). "Synodontis petricola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2006: e.T60818A12413139. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T60818A12413139.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Synodontis petricola". FishBase . June 2016 version.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Synodontis petricola Matthes, 1959". Planet Catfish. 29 Oct 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Wright, J.J. & L.M. Page (2006). "Taxonomic Revision of Lake Tanganyikan Synodontis (Siluriformes: Mochokidae)". Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 46 (4): 99–154.
  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. ↑ Smith, F. (2001). "A preliminary investigation of some chemical and physical profiles of Lake Tanganyika" (PDF). Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  8. ↑ 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.

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