''Synodontis'' is the largest

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of mochokid catfishes. It is the biggest genus within the 10 genera and 190 different

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

in the family Mochokidae. ''Synodontis'' has over 131 different species within the genus. ''Synodontis'' are also known as squeakers, due to their ability to make

stridulatory Stridulation is the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. This behavior is mostly associated with insects, but other animals are known to do this as well, such as a number of species of fish, snakes and spiders. The mech ...

sounds through their

pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

spines when handled or disturbed. ''Synodontis'' make a sound that sounds like squeaking by rubbing their spines together. They do this when they have been frightened or when they become angry. ''Synodontis'' may also squeak when they are taken out of the water. These catfish are small- to medium-sized fish with many species exhibiting attractive spotted markings. Some species are also known for naturally swimming belly-up, earning the name upside-down catfish. Some of these species are ''

Synodontis contractus ''Synodontis contractus'', the bugeye squeaker, 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. This species can be found in the aquarium trade. Appearance ...

'' and ''

Synodontis nigriventris ''Synodontis nigriventris'', the blotched upside-down catfish, 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. Appearance and anatomy Blotched upsid ...

''. While some of these species are known to swim upside down, another species, ''

Synodontis multipunctatus ''Synodontis multipunctatus'', also known as the cuckoo catfish, cuckoo squeaker, or multipunk, is a small catfish from Lake Tanganyika, one of the lakes in the Great Rift Valley system in Africa. It is a brood parasite upon mouthbrooding cichlids ...

'', is a brood parasitic cuckoo catfish,there are two other species

Synodontis petricola ''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. ...

and

Synodontis grandiops ''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 i ...

are also called brood parasitic cuckoo catfish.

Distribution

''Synodontis'' is a freshwater catfish that is most commonly found throughout Africa, occurring mostly in Central and West Africa. ''Synodontis'' is the most widely distributed mochokidae genus, occurring throughout most of the freshwaters of sub-

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

n Africa and the Nile River system. They can live in freshwaters which can be creeks, ponds, streams, lakes, and rivers. Their distribution is similar to that of

cichlid Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted th ...

fishes, however, unlike cichlids the majority of their diversity occurs in rivers not lakes.

Evolutionary history

''Synodontis'' catfish form a small endemic radiation in Lake Tanganyika, which includes the non-endemic species ''S. victoriae''. This radiation is thought to have evolved relatively recently (~5.5. Million years ago), having diversified within full lacustrine conditions. This is also the case for other endemic Lake Tanganyika lineages such as mastacembelid eels and platythelphusid crabs for example. Lake Tanganyikan ''Synodontis'' have also been shown to be Müllerian mimics, and that at least one species (''Synodontis multipunctatus'') is a brood parasite.

Fossil record

The earliest fossils of ''Synodontis'' in East African are from the Early

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...

. Many ''Synodontis'' fossils are the spines because they are very sturdy and so they are preserved better. The fossils of spines that are found are used to determine the family or genera of the fish but it cannot determine the species. ''Synodontis'' species that have survived and are still living can be identified by the shape of their whisker like organs on their heads called barbels, which relate to touch. The can also be identified by the color of their skin, the skull bones, and the number and length of the teeth.

Ecology

''Synodontis'' species are omnivorous generalists, feeding on a wide spectrum of different foods and are largely unspecialized. Insects,

crustacean Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean gro ...

s, mollusks,

annelid The annelids (Annelida , from Latin ', "little ring"), also known as the segmented worms, are a large phylum, with over 22,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to various ecol ...

s, seeds, and algae have been found in the stomachs of different species of ''Synodontis''. They are bottom-feeders and may be detritivores, some species may also be able to adapt to filter feeding. This allows them to cope with seasonal and habitat changes and gives them a better ability to colonize different habitats. Different ''Synodontis'' species have somewhat different growth rates but most of them are fairly similar. Females of a species are generally larger than the males. There is a great increase in growth the first year in both male and female and then the growth slows down as they become older. The form and structure of these fish are very different compared to other fish. The size and shape of the mouth are distinct because of its ventral mouth and these fish usually are triangular or cylindrical when looking at it from the side. Not much is known about the reproduction in these fish. It has been determined that July to October is when they spawn and that they swim in pairs during this spawning time. Species of ''Synodontis'' have been noted to reproduce with the flooding period of the rainy season.

Relationship to humans

Many ''Synodontis'' species are prized ornamental fish in the fishkeeping hobby. While some of the ''Synodontis'' species are prized because of their color or behavior, other species are wanted for food. Some of the bigger species in the genus are important food sources for the people in Africa.

Species

There are currently 131 recognized species in this genus: ''Synodontis'' accounts for about one-quarter of African catfish species. This genus has more members than any other

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n teleost genus other than '' Barbus'' and '' Haplochromis''. Newer species are listed with references. * ''

Synodontis acanthomias ''Synodontis acanthomias'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to the Congo Basin of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. It was originally discovered by George ...

Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer * Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo * George Albert Boulenger (1858–1 ...

, 1899 * ''

Synodontis acanthoperca ''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 ...

Friel Friel is a surname, and may refer to People * Aisling Friel (born 1980s) * Anna Friel (born 1976), British actress * Arthur O. Friel (1887–1959), writer * Benny Friel (1941–2010), Scottish footballer * Bill Friel (1876–1959), American baseb ...

& Vigliotta, 2006 * ''

Synodontis afrofischeri ''Synodontis afrofischeri'', known as Fischer's Victoria squeaker, the marbled Victoria squeaker, Fischer's catfish, or the Victoria synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish native to Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. It was first descr ...

'' Hilgendorf, 1888 (Fischer's Victoria squeaker) * '' Synodontis alberti'' Schilthuis, 1891 (Bigeye squeaker) * '' Synodontis albolineatus'' Pellegrin, 1924 * ''

Synodontis angelicus ''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 ...

'' Schilthuis, 1891 (Angel squeaker) * ''

Synodontis annectens ''Synodontis annectens'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to the freshwater rivers of Gambia, Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Gui ...

, 1911 * ''

Synodontis ansorgii ''Synodontis ansorgii'' is a species of Mochokidae, upside-down catfish native to rivers of Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. This species grows to a length of fish measurement, TL. References * * External links

Synodontis ...

, 1911 * ''

Synodontis arnoulti ''Synodontis arnoulti'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to the Volta River basin of Burkina Faso and Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Gui ...

'' Román, 1966 * '' Synodontis aterrimus'' Poll &

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, 1968 * ''

Synodontis bastiani ''Synodontis bastiani'' is a species of Mochokidae, upside-down catfish native to Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana where it occurs in the Sassandra River, Sassandra, Bandama River, Bandama and Bia River, Bia basins and the Comoe River, Comoe and Agnébi ...

Daget Jacques Daget (30 June 1919, Vineuil – 29 June 2009), was a French ichthyologist. He was a professor at the National Museum of Natural History, in Paris. Several marine species have been named after him. Species named after him Species named ...

, 1948 * ''

Synodontis batensoda right ''Synodontis batensoda'', the upside-down catfish, is a species of mochokid upside-down catfish. It is unevenly distributed in inland waters across Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, and is also known as a squeaker or giant upside-down cat ...

'' Rüppell, 1832 (Upsidedown catfish) * ''

Synodontis batesii ''Synodontis batesii'' is a species of Mochokidae, upside-down catfish native to rivers of Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It was first collected by George Latimer Bates, G. L. Bates and described by ...

, 1907 * ''

Synodontis brichardi ''Synodontis brichardi'', known as Brichard's synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it occurs in the rapids of the lower Congo River. It was first described by Max Pol ...

'' Poll, 1959 * '' Synodontis budgetti''

, 1911 * '' Synodontis camelopardalis'' Poll, 1971 * ''

Synodontis carineae ''Synodontis carineae'' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to 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 ...

'' Vreven & Ibala Zamba, 2011 * ''

Synodontis caudalis ''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 ...

, 1899 * ''

Synodontis caudovittatus ''Synodontis caudovittatus'', known as the white-finned synodontis, is a species of Mochokidae, 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 ...

, 1901 * '' Synodontis centralis'' Poll, 1971 * ''

Synodontis clarias ''Synodontis clarias'', known as the red tailed synodontis, or the mandi, is a species of upside-down catfish that occurs widely in the waters of northern Africa. It was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as ''Silurus cla ...

'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...

, 1758) (Mandi) * ''

Synodontis comoensis ''Synodontis comoensis'' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital i ...

& Lévêque, 1981 * ''

Synodontis congicus ''Synodontis congicus'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo where it occurs in the upper and middle Congo Basin. It was first described by Belgian ichthyologist Max Pol ...

'' Poll, 1971 * ''

'' Vinciguerra, 1928 (Bugeye squeaker) * ''

Synodontis courteti ''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 z ...

'' Pellegrin, 1906 * '' Synodontis cuangoanus'' Poll, 1971 * ''

Synodontis decorus ''Synodontis decorus'' is a species of upside-down catfish. Common names include clown catfish, clown synodontis, clown syno, clown squeaker, and barredtail squeaker. Distribution The ''Synodontis decorus'' is native to Cameroon, the Democratic ...

, 1899 (Clown squeaker) * '' Synodontis dekimpei'' Paugy, 1987 * ''

Synodontis depauwi ''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 s ...

, 1899 * '' Synodontis dhonti''

, 1917 * ''

Synodontis dorsomaculatus ''Synodontis dorsomaculatus'' is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it occurs in the Lukusi and upper Lualaba Rivers and the Upemba lakes. It was first described by Max Poll in 197 ...

'' Poll, 1971 * '' Synodontis eupterus''

, 1901 (Featherfin squeaker) * '' Synodontis filamentosus''

, 1901 * '' Synodontis flavitaeniatus''

, 1919 (Orangestriped squeaker) * '' Synodontis frontosus'' Vaillant, 1895 * ''

Synodontis fuelleborni ''Synodontis'' is the largest genus of mochokid catfishes. It is the biggest genus within the 10 genera and 190 different species in the family Mochokidae. ''Synodontis'' has over 131 different species within the genus. ''Synodontis'' are also k ...

'' Hilgendorf & Pappenheim, 1903 (Fuelleborn's squeaker) * ''

Synodontis geledensis ''Synodontis geledensis'', known as the Geledi squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia where it can be found in the Lorian Swamp, the Shebelle and Ewaso Ng'iro rivers. It was first described by ...

'' Günther, 1896 (Geledi squeaker) * '' Synodontis gobroni''

, 1954 * ''

Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright is ...

& Page, 2006 * '' Synodontis granulosus''

, 1900 * '' Synodontis greshoffi'' Schilthuis, 1891 * ''

Synodontis guttatus ''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 ...

'' Günther, 1865 * ''

Synodontis haugi ''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 1 ...

'' Pellegrin, 1906 * ''

Synodontis ilebrevis ''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 ...

& Page, 2006 * '' Synodontis irsacae'' Matthes, 1959 * '' Synodontis iturii''

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner describ ...

, 1911 * ''

Synodontis katangae ''Synodontis katangae'' is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia where it is found in the Congo Basin. It was first described by Max Poll in 1971. The original specimens were obtain ...

'' Poll, 1971 * '' Synodontis khartoumensis'' Abu Gideiri, 1967 * ''

Synodontis koensis ''Synodontis koensis'' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Ivory Coast where it occurs in the Nzo River basin. This species grows to a length of TL. This species can be found in the aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' ...

'' Pellegrin, 1933 * '' Synodontis kogonensis'' Musschoot & Lalèyè, 2008 * ''

Synodontis laessoei ''Synodontis laessoei'' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion ...

'' Norman, 1923 * ''

Synodontis leopardinus ''Synodontis leopardinus'', known as the leopard squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the Cunene, Okavango and upper Zambezi Rivers. It was first described by Jacques Pellegrin in 1914. The original specimens were ...

'' Pellegrin, 1914 (Leopard squeaker) * ''

Synodontis leopardus ''Synodontis leopardus'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to coastal rivers of Tanzania and Somalia. This species grows to a length of SL. References Further reading * External links leopardus Catfish of Africa Fish ...

Pfeffer Pfeffer is a German surname meaning "pepper" and may refer to: * Anna Pfeffer (born 1946), Hungarian Olympic medalist sprint canoer * Anshel Pfeffer, British journalist * Anton Pfeffer (born 1965), Austrian footballer * Big Jeff Pfeffer (1882� ...

, 1896 * '' Synodontis levequei'' Paugy, 1987 * '' Synodontis longirostris''

, 1902 * ''

Synodontis longispinis ''Synodontis longispinis'' is a species of Mochokidae, upside-down catfish that is endemism, endemic to the Republic of the Congo where it is found in the Sangha River. It was first described by Jacques Pellegrin in 1930 as ''Synodontis batesi ...

'' Pellegrin, 1930 * ''

Synodontis lucipinnis ''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 s ...

& Page, 2006 * '' Synodontis lufirae'' Poll, 1971 * ''

Synodontis macrophthalmus ''Synodontis macrophthalmus'' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Ghana where it occurs in the Volta River basin. This species grows to a length of TL. References * * External links macrophthalmus Endemic freshwater ...

'' Poll, 1971 * '' Synodontis macrops''

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth C ...

, 1963 * ''

Synodontis macropunctatus ''Synodontis macropunctatus'' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Angola where it occurs in the Uamba River and in tributaries of the Luachimo River Luachimo is a commune of Angola, located in the province of Lunda Norte. The ...

& Page, 2008 * '' Synodontis macrostigma''

, 1911 (Largespot squeaker) * '' Synodontis macrostoma'' Skelton &

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1990 (Largemouth squeaker) * '' Synodontis manni'' De Vos, 2001 (Feather-barbelled squeaker) * '' Synodontis marmoratus'' Lönnberg, 1895 * '' Synodontis matthesi'' Poll, 1971 * '' Synodontis melanopterus''

, 1903 * '' Synodontis melanostictus''

, 1906 * '' Synodontis membranacea'' ( Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809) * '' Synodontis multimaculatus''

, 1902 * ''

, 1898 (Cuckoo catfish) * ''

Synodontis nebulosus ''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 natura ...

'' Peters, 1852 (Cloudy squeaker) * '' Synodontis ngouniensis'' De Weirdt, Vreven & Fermon, 2008 * ''

Synodontis nigrita ''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 Mus ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 * ''

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, 1936 (Blotched upsidedown catfish) * '' Synodontis nigromaculatus''

, 1905 (Blackspotted squeaker) * ''

Synodontis njassae The Malawi squeaker (''Synodontis njassae'') is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Lake Malawi. This species grows to a length of TL. This species is a minor component of local commercial fisheries Commercial fishing is the activit ...

'' Keilhack, 1908 (Malawi squeaker) * '' Synodontis notatus'' Vaillant, 1893 (Onespot squeaker) * '' Synodontis nummifer''

, 1899 * ''

Synodontis obesus ''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 i ...

, 1898 * '' Synodontis ocellifer''

, 1900 * '' Synodontis omias'' Günther, 1864 * '' Synodontis orientalis''

Seegers Seegers is a patronymic surname. Notable persons with that name include: * Doug Seegers, American guitarist and songwriter * Rainer Seegers (born 1952), German percussionist and timpanist * Wendy Seegers (born 1976), South African athlete * Willi ...

, 2008 * '' Synodontis ornatipinnis''

, 1899 * '' Synodontis ornatissimus''

Gosse Gosse is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bob Gosse (born 1963), American film producer and director * Charles Gosse (1849–1885), Australian surgeon, son of William * Clarence Gosse (1912–1996), Canadian physician and Lieu ...

, 1982 * ''

Synodontis ouemeensis ''Synodontis ouemeensis'' is a species of Mochokidae, upside-down catfish native to the Ogun River, Ogun, Ouémé River, Ouémé and Mono River, Mono river basins of Nigeria, Benin and Togo. This species grows to a length of fish measurement, SL. ...

'' Musschoot & Lalèyè, 2008 * ''

Synodontis pardalis ''Synodontis pardalis'' is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to Cameroon where it occurs in the Dja River drainage. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger George Albert Boulenger (19 O ...

, 1908 * ''

'' Matthes, 1959 (Cuckoo Catfish) * '' Synodontis pleurops''

, 1897 (Congo squeaker) * ''

Synodontis polli ''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 ...

, 1982 * ''

Synodontis polyodon ''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, n ...

'' Vaillant, 1895 * ''

Synodontis polystigma ''Synodontis polystigma'' is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to the upper Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. It was first described by George Albert Boulenger in 1915. The original specimens were ob ...

, 1915 * '' Synodontis pulcher'' Poll, 1971 * ''

Synodontis punctifer ''Synodontis punctifer'' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Ivory Coast where it occurs in the Nzo and Bandama River The Bandama River is the longest river in Ivory Coast with a length of some 800 kilometers. The south-flowing river ...

, 1965 * '' Synodontis punctulatus'' Günther, 1889 * '' Synodontis punu'' Vreven & Milondo, 2009 * '' Synodontis rebeli'' Holly, 1926 * '' Synodontis resupinatus''

, 1904 * ''

Synodontis ricardoae Ricardo's squeaker (''Synodontis ricardoae'') is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Tanzania. This species grows to a length of TL. References * External links Ricardo's squeaker Endemic freshwater fish of Tanzania Rica ...

, 1996 (Ricardo's squeaker) * ''

Synodontis robbianus ''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 spec ...

'' Smith, 1875 * '' Synodontis robertsi'' Poll, 1974 * ''

Synodontis ruandae ''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 discov ...

'' Matthes, 1959 * '' Synodontis rufigiensis'' Bailey, 1968 * '' Synodontis rukwaensis'' Hilgendorf & Pappenheim, 1903 (Lake Rukwa squeaker) * ''

Synodontis schall ''Synodontis schall'', the Wahrindi, is a species of upside-down catfish widespread in northern Africa. This species is in the largest genus of the family Mochokidae. This species grows to a length of TL. Distribution ''Synodontis schall'' ...

'' ( Bloch &

Schneider Schneider may refer to: Hospital * Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel People * Schneider (surname) Companies and organizations * G. Schneider & Sohn, a Bavarian brewery company * Schneider Rundfunkwerke AG, the former owner of th ...

, 1801) (Wahrindi) * '' Synodontis schoutedeni''

, 1936 * '' Synodontis serpentis'' Whitehead, 1962 (Tana squeaker) * '' Synodontis serratus'' Rüppell, 1829 * '' Synodontis smiti''

, 1902 * '' Synodontis soloni''

, 1899 * '' Synodontis sorex'' Günther, 1864 * ''

Synodontis steindachneri ''Synodontis steindachneri '' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Cameroon where it occurs in the Nyong River The Nyong (formerly german: Yong) is a river in Cameroon. The river flows approximately to empty into the Gulf of Guinea. ...

, 1913 * '' Synodontis tanganyicae''

Borodin Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin ( rus, link=no, Александр Порфирьевич Бородин, Aleksandr Porfir’yevich Borodin , p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr pɐrˈfʲi rʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bərɐˈdʲin, a=RU-Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin.ogg, ...

, 1936 * '' Synodontis tessmanni'' Pappenheim, 1911 * ''

Synodontis thamalakanensis ''Synodontis thamalakanensis'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to Botswana and Namibia. This species grows to a length of SL. References * * External links thamalakanensis Catfish of Africa Fish of Botswana Fres ...

'' Fowler, 1935 * ''

Synodontis thysi ''Synodontis thysi'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to Guinea and Sierra Leone where it is found in the Little Scarcies River, Little Scarcies, Jong, Rokel, Kolenté and Konkouré River The Konkouré River arises in west-central Gu ...

'' Poll, 1971 * '' Synodontis tourei''

, 1962 * '' Synodontis unicolor''

, 1915 * '' Synodontis vaillanti''

, 1897 * '' Synodontis vanderwaali'' Skelton &

, 1990 * ''

Synodontis velifer ''Synodontis velifer'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Ghana where it can be found in the Pra River and the Sassandra, Bandama and Volta basins. This species grows to a length of TL. References * ...

'' Norman, 1935 * '' Synodontis vermiculatus''

, 1954 * '' Synodontis victoriae''

, 1906 (Lake Victoria squeaker) * '' Synodontis violaceus'' Pellegrin, 1919 * ''

Synodontis voltae ''Synodontis voltae '' is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Burkina Faso where it is found in the Bougouriba River. This species grows to a length of TL. References * External links voltae Freshwater fish of Africa ...

'' Román, 1975 * ''

Synodontis waterloti ''Synodontis waterloti'' is a species of upside-down catfish native to waters of western Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 ...

, 1962 * '' Synodontis woleuensis''

Sullivan Sullivan may refer to: People Characters * Chloe Sullivan, from the television series ''Smallville'' * Colin Sullivan, a character in the film ''The Departed'', played by Matt Damon * Harry Sullivan (''Doctor Who''), from the British science f ...

, 2008 * ''

Synodontis woosnami ''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 ...

, 1911 (Upper Zambezi squeaker) * ''

Synodontis xiphias ''Synodontis'' is the largest genus of Mochokidae, mochokid catfishes. It is the biggest genus within the 10 genera and 190 different species in the family Mochokidae. ''Synodontis'' has over 131 different species within the genus. ''Synodontis'' ...

'' Günther, 1864 * ''

Synodontis zambezensis ''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 ...

'' Peters, 1852 (Plain squeaker) * ''

Synodontis zanzibaricus The eastcoast squeaker (''Synodontis zanzibaricus'') is a species of fish in the upside-down catfish family (Mochokidae). It is found in Kenya and Tanzania, and possibly in Somalia. Its natural habitat is river A river is a natural flow ...

'' Peters, 1868 (Eastcoast squeaker)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q209386 Fish of Africa Catfish genera Taxa named by Georges Cuvier Freshwater fish genera