Synodontis ruandae

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Synodontis ruandae
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Mochokidae
Genus: Synodontis
Species:
S. ruandae
Binomial name
Synodontis ruandae
Matthes, 1959

Synodontis ruandae is a species of upside-down catfish native to Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania where it is found in the Kagera River system. [1] It was first described by Belgian ichthyologist Hubert Matthes in 1959, based upon holotypes discovered in the Kagera River at Rusumo, Rwanda. [2] The specific name "ruandae" is derived from its type locality, Rwanda.

Contents

Description

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. [2] The first ray of the dorsal fin and the pectoral fins have a hardened first ray which is serrated. [2] The caudal fin is deeply forked. [2] It has short, cone-shaped teeth in the upper jaw. [2] In the lower jaw, the teeth are s-shaped and movable. [2] The fish has one pair of long maxillary barbels, extending far beyond the operculum, and two pairs of mandibular barbels that are often branched. [2]

This species grows to a length of 12.8 centimetres (5.0 in) SL although specimens up to 16.2 centimetres (6.4 in) TL have been recorded in the wild. [1] [2]

Habitat

In the wild, the species inhabits tropical freshwaters. [1] It is found in shallow waters and vegetation along the edge of the water in the middle and upper Kagera River system. [3] It feeds primarily on insect larvae, and also consumes molluscs. [1] [3] Due to a decline in vegetation around the edges of lakes and rivers as a result of agricultural expansion, the species is listed as vulnerable. [3]

Related Research Articles

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<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

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

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

Synodontis acanthoperca, known as the scissortail synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish native to Gabon where it occurs in the Ogowe River. It was first described by John Patrick Friel & Thomas R. Vigliotta in 2006, based upon a holotype discovered in the Ogooué River in Gabon, at and below the Rapids of Massoukou. The specific name "acanthoperca" comes from the Latinized combination of the Greek word acantha, meaning "thorn", and the Latin opercul, meaning cover or lid, which refers to the pronounced spines that develop on the operculum of mature males.

<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 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".

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".

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

Synodontis haugi, known as the black synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish native to Gabon where it is found in the Ogowe River basin. It was first collected by M.E. Haug and described by French zoologist Jacques Pellegrin in 1906, based upon a holotype discovered in the Ogooué River, near Ngomo, Gabon. The specific name "huagi" is a tribute to the original collector of the 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 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 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.

Synodontis polyodon is a species of upside-down catfish native to Gabon where it occurs in the Ogowe River basin. It was first described by French zoologist Léon Vaillant in 1895, based upon a holotype discovered in the Ogooué River, near Adouma, Gabon. The specific name "polyodon" comes from the Greek words poly, meaning "many" and odon, meaning "tooth", referring to the many teeth in this species.

<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 robbianus</i> Species of fish

Synodontis robbianus, known as the russet synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Nigeria where it is found in the Cross and lower Niger Rivers. It was first described by John Alexander Smith in 1875, from specimens collected in the Calabar River, Nigeria. The species name robbianus is named after Rev. Alexander Robb, a Scottish missionary, who collected the original species samples.

Synodontis schoutedeni, known as the yellow marbled Synodontis, 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 Belgian ichthyologist Lore Rose David in 1936, based upon a holotype discovered in Basongo, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The specific name "schoutedeni" is named after the Belgian zoologist Henri Schouteden.

Synodontis woleuensis is a species of upside-down catfish native to Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It was first described in 2008 by American zoologists John P. Friel and John P. Sullivan. The original holotypes were collected in the Woleu-Ntem Province, Gabon. The specific name "woleuensis" is derived from the Woleu River, where the specimens were originally collected.

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. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2016). "Synodontis ruandae" in FishBase. June 2016 version.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Synodontis ruandae Matthes, 1959". Planet Catfish. 3 Feb 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Moelants, T. (2010). "Synodontis ruandae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2016.

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