''Synodontis robertsi'', known as Robert's Synodontis,
[ or the large blotch Synodontis,][ is a species of ]upside-down catfish
The name upside-down catfish is most commonly used by aquarists to refer to the mochokid catfish '' Synodontis nigriventris'' alternately known to ichthyologists as the blotched upside-down catfish or false upside-down catfish. However, a number ...
that is endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
where it is only known from the Lukenie River
The Lukenie River is a river in the central Congo basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
River barges from Kinshasa journey up the Congo, Kwah ( Kasai), and Fimi Rivers to the Lukenie as far as the landing at Kole, a journey of 6 ...
.[ It was first described by ]Max Poll
Max Fernand Leon Poll (21 July 1908 in Ruisbroek – 13 March 1991 in Uccle) was a Belgian ichthyologist who specialised in the Cichlidae. In the years 1946 and 1947 he organised an expedition to Lake Tanganyika.
He has described several speci ...
in 1974. The original specimens were obtained in Elombe, on the Lukenie River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[ The ]species name
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bo ...
''robertsi'' is in honor of ichthyologist Tyson R. Roberts, who helped collect the type specimens.[
]
Description
Like all members of the genus ''Synodontis'', ''S. robertsi'' has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin.[ The head contains a distinct narrow, bony, external protrusion called a humeral process.][ The fish has three pairs of ]barbels
In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whiskerlike sensory organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the zebrafish, the black dragonfish and s ...
. The maxillary barbels are on located on the upper jaw, and two pairs of mandibular barbels are on the lower jaw.[ The adipose fin is large and the tail, or caudal fin, is forked.][
The front edges of the dorsal fins and the pectoral fins are hardened into stiff spines. These spines can be raised into position at right angles to the body and locked into position for defensive purposes.][ The ability to lock the spines into place comes from several small bones attached to the spine, and once raised, the spines cannot be folded down by exerting pressure on the tip.][
The fish has 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. On the lower jaw, or mandible, the teeth are attached to flexible, stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked".][
The maximum ]total length
Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.
Overall length
* Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...
of the species is .[ Generally, females in the genus ''Synodontis'' tend to be slightly larger than males of the same age.][
]
Habitat and behavior
In the wild, the species is not often identified.[ The reproductive habits of most of the species of ''Synodontis'' are not known, beyond some instances of obtaining egg counts from gravid females.][ Spawning likely occurs during the flooding season between July and October, and pairs swim in unison during spawning.][ The growth rate is rapid in the first year, then slows down as the fish age.][
]
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3762090
robertsi
Freshwater fish of Africa
Fish of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Endemic fauna of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Taxa named by Max Poll
Fish described in 1974