the northern shoveler ( / ˈʃʌvələr / ; spatula clypeata ) , or northern shoveller in british english , sometimes known simply as the shoveler , is a common and widespread duck .

it breeds in northern areas of europe and asia and across most of north america , wintering in southern europe , africa , the indian subcontinent , southeast asia , and central , and northern south america .

it is a rare vagrant to australia .

in north america , it breeds along the southern edge of hudson bay and west of this body of water , and as far south as the great lakes west to colorado , nevada , and oregon .

the northern shoveler is one of the species to which the agreement on the conservation of african-eurasian migratory waterbirds ( aewa ) applies .

the conservation status of this bird is least concern .

northern shoveler

the northern shoveler was first described in 1758 by carolus linnaeus , swedish botanist , physician and zoologist .
battley , p . f . 1991 . northern shoveler near wanganui . notornis 38 : 48 - 50 .
when flushed off the nest , a female northern shoveler often defecates on its eggs , apparently to deter predators .
the northern shoveler can be found in marshes and prairie potholes . it needs habitats with shallow water with muddy bottoms .
not to be outdone by the drake , here is a close up of the female northern shoveler in all her radiance .
living in the northern part of the old world . in otherwords , europe and asia and northern africa .
the oldest recorded northern shoveler was a male , and at least 16 years , 7 months old when he was found in nevada .
and why are they called northern shovelers ? well , that is because they are not the only species of shoveler in the world , though they are the only ones living in the northern hemisphere .
the northern shoveler is a long - distance migrant , that breeds across the entire northern hemisphere . it spends the northern winter mainly in the northern tropics and warm temperate areas immediately to the north . asian populations winter throughout east asia south to thailand , with occasional records further south including borneo and australia . the east asian population is estimated at 500 , 000 birds .
the video above showing the pair bonding and precopulatory behavior of the northern shoveler ( anas clypeata ) was shot from the photography bind at colusa national wildlife refuge , one of the refuges of the sacramento national wildlife refuge complex in northern california .
melville , d . s . 2013 [ updated 2017 ] . northern shoveler . in miskelly , c . m . ( ed . ) new zealand birds online . urltoken
the northern shoveler breeds from alaska east to northern manitoba and south to california and the great lakes region . it winters from oregon south to california and east across the southern united states and up the east coast to new jersey . it also winters in mexico , central america , northern south america , and the caribbean .
during the heat of the day , the shoveler often rests on the mud next to the water .
the other main foraging technique employed by the northern shoveler using that rather large spatulate bill is filtering the open water surface as they swim , seen in this video filmed at sacramento nwr .
northern shoveler : this is a medium - sized dabbling duck with a large spoon - shaped bill . males have a dark green head , dark bill , orange legs , yellow eyes , white
northern shoveler populations have remained fairly steady since 1955 , but 2007 and 2009 brought peak numbers and the numbers have remained high , most likely due to favorable habitat conditions for breeding , migrating , and wintering northern shovelers ( u . s . fish and wildlife service , 2009 ) .
due to their highly specialized bills and consequent habitat requirements , the northern shoveler appears to be less affected by drought and food scarcity than other dabblers . this may explain how this species has maintained long - term stable populations .
northern shoveler . adult male in breeding plumage . texas , december 2006 . image © jim denny by jim denny http : / / www . kauaibirds . comhttp : / / www . flickr . com / photos / hawaiibirds /
mitchell , c . 2005 . northern shoveler anas clypeata . pp . 560 - 564 in kear , j . ( ed . ) . bird families of the world . ducks , geese and swans . oxforduniversity press : oxford .
the drake northern shoveler is readily identifiable in breeding plumage . it has a dark green head , white breast and a large chestnut patch on the flanks . in flight the upper forewing is pale blue - grey , with a dark green speculum on the trailing margin of the wing , similar to the wing pattern of the australasian shoveler . female northern shovelers , and males in eclipse , would be very similar to australasian shovelers . no characters have been identified to separate the species in these plumages . northern shovelers of both sexes have dark grey bills ( as do australasian shovelers ) .
dubowy , paul j . 1996 . northern shoveler ( spatula clypeata ) , version 2 . 0 . in the birds of north america ( p . g . rodewald , editor ) . cornell lab of ornithology , ithaca , new york , usa .
the northern shoveler is a common holarctic duck with a high degree of morphological and feeding specializations . unlike most dabbling ducks ( genus anas ) , it has a bill ideally suited for straining small swimming crustaceans from the water . previous studies have shown that northern shovelers feed primarily by holding their bills in the water while swimming , straining out small invertebrates by continually dabbling .
the northern shoveler has a large range , estimated globally at 10 , 000 , 000 square kilometers . native to the americas , europe , asia and africa and introduced to australia , this bird prefers grassland , wetland and marine ecosystems . the global population of this bird is estimated at 5 , 000 , 000 to 6 , 400 , 000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the iucn red list . for this reason , the current evaluation status of the northern shoveler is least concern .
northern shoveler : breeds from alaska and northern manitoba south to california , nebraska , and wisconsin ; local and uncommon in the great lakes area and the northeast . winters from oregon across the southern half of the u . s . to the gulf coast , north to new jersey , and south to central america . prefers marshes and prairie potholes ; sometimes found on salt or brackish marshes .
the northern shoveler is a common breeder throughout washington ' s lowland ponds and wetlands ( although some birds sighted in summer on the west side of the cascades are non - breeders ) . it is also a common winter resident . northern shovelers are more common breeders on the east side of the cascades than on the west side , but more common wintering on the west side in appropriate habitat .
the northern shoveler is a migratory duck that breeds in temperate regions across the entire northern hemisphere . a few birds stray south of the equator when on migration , including 10 - 14 records from new zealand . all the new zealand records are of males in their distinctive white - and - chestnut plumage with bottle - green head , with several of these birds shot by duck hunters . the drab females would be very difficult to separate from female australasian shovelers , and so it is likely that many northern shovelers are overlooked in new zealand .
dubowy , p . j . 1996 . northern shoveler . the birds of north america . no . 217 . ( a . poole and f . gill , eds . ) . philadelphia : the academy of natural sciences ; washington , d . c . : the american ornithologists ' union .
the bill of the shoveler is ideally suited for straining small swimming invertebrates from the water and mud . seeds and aquatic plants are also important food items , especially during winter .
northern shovelers feed from the surface , filtering items from the water with fine comb - like ridges on the inside of their bills .
dubowy , p . j . 1997 . long - term foraging optimization in northern shovelers . ecological modelling 95 : 119 - 132 .
the bill of the northern shoveler is big ( about 2 . 5 inches long ) and shaped like a shovel , but that odd - shaped bill also has about 110 fine projections ( called lamellae ) along the edges that act like a colander , filtering out tiny crustaceans , seeds , and aquatic invertebrates from the water .
similar species ( adult males only ) : the australasian shoveler is similar in size and shape . the drake australasian shoveler has a blue - grey head with a vertical white crescent at the base of bill . but note that male northern shovelers in ‘eclipse’ plumage ( a plumage attained for a short time after the breeding season ) also may show a pale crescent on the face , as well as a speckled breast . the drake mallard has a similarly green head but has a dark maroon - brown breast and yellow bill .
world ' s last male northern white rhino , sudan , dies the world ' s last male northern white rhino , sudan , has died after
age - related complications ,
researchers announced tuesday , saying he
stole the heart of many with his dignity and strength .
during winter , the northern shoveler will use virtually any wetland as long as it has muddy edges . it can then be found on coastal brackish lagoons , tidal mudflats , estuaries , coastal shorelines , fresh and brackish estuarine marshes , swamps , inland seas and brackish or saline inland waters , and flooded areas in savanna , grassland or forest . the northern shoveler will even forage in sewage ponds and stagnant or polluted waters avoided by other species of ducks . it may occasionally briefly occur on marine waters during migration , yet it generally avoids very saline habitats . general habits : northern shovelers are usually found in pairs or in small parties , but they tend to congregate when feeding and roosting , and flocks of 20 , 30 or even several hundreds of individuals occur in favoured areas in africa . they may also travel in large numbers during migration and large concentrations then form , especially at stop - over sites . this species is highly migratory , flying south to overwinter in tropical and subtropical regions , although it may be present all year round in parts of europe . the northern shoveler migrates in flocks in a prolonged migration period in both the spring and the fall .
northern shovelers don ' t just occur in the americas , they also breed across europe and spend the winter throughout europe , africa , and india .
northern shovelers migrate in flocks in a prolonged migration period in both the spring and the fall . the spring migration is relatively late , usually peaking about the end of april . the fall migration begins in august , peaks in september , and continues into november . many northern shovelers winter in washington .
northern shovelers are very popular with aviculturists , are rather easy to propagate , and can be found in almost any waterfowl collection . ( todd 1979 . )
the northern shoveler appears quite large , though it is its disproportionately large head that gives this impression . in body size , it is appreciably smaller than either the mallard or the spot - billed duck . its plumage is distinctive . the male has an iridescent blue - green head , its chest is pure white and its flanks are chestnut , making it a very smart bird indeed . like the other dabbling ducks , however , the shoveler has what is known as an eclipse plumage . the bright colors of the male serve the significant purpose of advertising , to compete with other males for the attention of females .
female northern shovelers have mottled brown , black and white feathers and a blue patch on their wings . their eyes are brown and their bill is a brownish green .
northern shovelers are monogamous and remain together longer than pairs of most other dabbling ducks . they form bonds on the wintering grounds and stay together until just before fall migration .
the northern shoveler is a medium - sized dabbling duck . its most unique feature is its large shovel - shaped bill . during the breeding season , male shovelers have shiny green heads , a white body , rusty - red undersides , and black wings . in non - breeding season their color is a little duller and their head and breast are brown . male shovelers have yellow eyes and a black bill .
during the breeding season , northern shovelers are widely distributed throughout north america , europe and northern asia . they normally inhabit open , shallow and muddy freshwater wetlands that house a large abundance of submergent vegetation . these wetlands are usually adjacent to open grassy areas , which provide sufficient cover for nests . similar habitats are used during spring and fall migration .
northern shovelers fly from the prairie pothole region through the pacific or central flyways , with major stopover areas in the great salt lake , malheur basin and carson sink . they winter in california ; coastal louisiana , texas , and mexico ; and the north and central highlands of mexico . wintering habitat includes fresh and brackish coastal marshes , and ponds . saltwater wetlands are generally avoided . northern shovelers are common winter visitors to central america , the caribbean and northern colombia , and are found occasionally in trinidad ( scott and carbonell , 1986 ) .
carboneras , c . & kirwan , g . m . ( 2018 ) . northern shoveler ( spatula clypeata ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .
the very large , spatulate bill is the most distinguishing feature of the aptly named northern shoveler . the male in breeding plumage has bright wings , a bright iridescent - green head with a yellow eye , bold white breast , and chestnut sides . females , juveniles , and males in eclipse plumage ( from may through august ) are mottled brown with orange legs and a green - black iridescent speculum with a blue patch on the forewing .
hovelers have an entirely different approach . the bill of the shoveler is a large affair , both longer and broader than those of any of their relatives . the japanese name for this bird , hibiro - gamo , lects the noticeable broadness of its characteristic beak .
pay a visit to one of the major city parks , or to almost any major river mouth between now and april , and you will find flocks of slender - necked northern pintail , compact eurasian wigeon , stocky mallard or solid and bulky spot - billed duck . the pintail and wigeon in particular occur in huge flocks often numbered in the thousands . among them , there are often smaller numbers of a rather different - looking bird : the shoveler .
northern shovelers breed in the parklands , short - and mixed - grass prairies of canada , and the grasslands of the north - central united states . they prefer shallow marshes that are mud - bottomed and rich in invertebrate life . nest sites are generally located on the ground in grassy areas lacking woody cover and away from open water . female northern shovelers lay an average of 9 eggs .
check out my latest west coast beat writer post over at 10000 birds ! i’ve got this video plus two others and several photos of the beautiful northern shovelers that were taken at our national wildlife refuges .
there are 10 accepted northern shoveler records from new zealand , and several other sightings that have not been assessed . all but two records were from the north island ( particularly the bay of plenty and horowhenua ) , and all but one were of the readily recognisable drake ( there was a pair at pauri lake , whanganui , in august 1989 ) . all new zealand records were during the southern winter ( march to august ) , when northern shovelers should be on their breeding grounds . the preponderance of records in may , and particularly the first week of may , has more to do with the timing of the duck - shooting season in new zealand than the migratory behaviour of the birds .
so , if your travels should take you to places such as izunuma , in miyagi prefecture , to see the great winter goose gathering there , do look out for these very special extras among the main cast . and don’t forget to look out for the shoveler among the other dabbling ducks .
many of the dabbling ducks use their flat bills to strain food items from the water , but the big spatulate bill of the northern shoveler is adapted to take this habit to the extreme . flocks of shovelers often swim along with their big bills barely submerged in front of them , straining food from the muddy soup of shallow waters . despite their heavy - set build , shovelers are good fliers ; at large gatherings , groups often are seen taking off , circling the area repeatedly , then alighting again .
living in the nearctic biogeographic province , the northern part of the new world . this includes greenland , the canadian arctic islands , and all of the north american as far south as the highlands of central mexico .
northern shovelers stay in small groups of up to twenty , but they may travel in larger numbers during migration . they are quiet birds that tolerate human presence and can be relatively tame . ( todd , 1979 . )
perhaps the most outwardly distinctive of the dabbling ducks thanks to its large spoon - shaped bill , the northern shoveler busily forages head down in shallow wetlands . its uniquely shaped bill has comblike projections along its edges , which filter out tiny crustaceans and seeds from the water . if the bill doesn’t catch your eye , the male ' s blocky color palette sure will , with its bright white chest , rusty sides , and green head . the female is no less interesting with a giant orange bill and mottled brown plumage .
perhaps the most visible diagnostic characteristic of the northern shoveler is its large spoon - shaped bill , which widens towards the tip and creates a shape unique among north american waterfowl . male northern shovelers have an iridescent green head and neck , white chest and breast and chestnut belly and sides . they have a white stripe extending from the breast along the margin of the gray - brown back , and white flank spots . the wings have a gray - blue shoulder patch , which is separated from a brilliant green speculum by a tapered white stripe . the bill is black in breeding plumage and the legs and feet are orange . female northern shovelers have a light brownish head with a blackish crown and a brownish speckled body . the upper wing coverts are grayish - blue , the greater secondary coverts are tipped with white and the secondaries are brown with a slight greenish sheen . the bill is olive green with fleshy orange in the gape area and speckled with black dots .
one of the coolest things about northern shovelers are their feeding habits . they are dabbling ducks which feed by upending and , you guessed it , dabbling . unlike most other dabbling ducks however , the northern shovelers strain aquatic vegetation , plankton , and tiny invertebrates through the comb - like edges of their shovel - shaped bill . you can see these comb - like structures called lamellae in this photo of the drake ( click on photos for full sized images ) .
this bird favors broad , shallow marshes where it can use the comb - like teeth along the edges of its large bill to strain aquatic animals , plants , and seeds from the water . like the two teal , male shovelers wear eclipse plumage until february , much later than ducks whose courtship begins in the fall . though less numerous than in ancient times , the northern shoveler and other marsh ducks have lately become relatively abundant because game departments and private organizations in canada , the united states , and mexico have purchased wetland habitat to ensure their survival .
during the breeding season , northern shovelers are found in shallow pools and marshes that have good cover and dry areas nearby for nesting . in the winter they can be found near freshwater marshes , swamps , and flooded areas . ( johnsgard 1965 . )
northern shovelers use shallow wetlands with submerged vegetation during the breeding season , nesting along the margins and in the neighboring grassy fields . outside of the breeding season they forage in saltmarshes , estuaries , lakes , flooded fields , wetlands , agricultural ponds , and wastewater ponds .
as with other species of dabbling ducks , the northern shoveler is found in a variety of wetland habitats , including prairie potholes , saline wetlands , and lacustrine margins in summer , and in playas , coastal marshes , and rice prairies in winter . although its courtship , nesting behavior , postbreeding biology , and migration are generally similar to that observed in other dabbling ducks , it differs in other aspects of its life history . for example , this is the most territorial of all north american dabbling ducks , and males remain paired with females longer than in other species , in turn affecting life - history parameters such as the mating system and courtship .
in the fall , northern shovelers migrate to the southern regions of north america , south america , north africa and southern asia to over winter . freshwater and saline marshes , industrial cooling ponds , agricultural wastewater ponds , coastal lagoons , estuaries and mangrove swamps provide wintering habitat .
northern shovelers are a game bird . hunters often shoot them due to their resemblance to mallards . they are often referred to as
neighbor ' s mallards ,
because some hunters give them to their neighbors and keep the more tasty mallards for themselves . ( todd , 1979 . )
northern shovelers feed by dabbling and sifting in shallow water . seeds of sedges , bulrushes , saw grass , smartweeds , pondweeds , algae and duckweeds , as well as aquatic insects , mollusks and crustaceans , are consumed by filtering water which is taken in at the bill tip and jetted out at the base .
northern shovelers are common and their populations were stable between 1966 and 2015 , according to the north american breeding bird survey . partners in flight estimates the global breeding population at 4 . 5 million . the species rates an 8 out of 20 on the continental concern score , which means it is not on the partners in flight watch list and is a species of low conservation concern . the u . s . fish and wildlife service carefully manages duck hunting , and limits the number of individuals hunters can take every year based on population size . from 2012–2016 , hunters have taken an average of 705 , 533 northern shovelers per year .
larry , as always — great post , photo and vids over at 10 , 000 birds ! i had no idea about the lamellae . i mean , i’ve seen them but didn’t understand the full function , nor would i have recognized all of these behaviors as courtship ones . i absolutely love seeing northern shovelers and appreciated knowing more about them .
it is likely that shovelers are suffering from habitat loss and degradation in asia . they are reported as not good to eat as they have a poor flavour compared to other surface feeding ducks , thus hunting pressure is comparatively low . as for all vagrant bird species , northern shovelers are fully protected in new zealand . this apparently makes little difference come the first weekend of may .
the coolest shoveler experience i ever had was at coyote hills in the bay area . scores of shovelers were flying in over the hills to land on one of the big ponds . as they flew over us , they produced a sound that was just like fighter jets . i’ve asked a number of people about that but no one yet has heard it . it must have been a combination of their flight path and wind direction . so odd but so evocative when i remember that moment of standing under their beautiful flight .
northern shovelers inhabit shallow , marshy ponds and wetlands at low elevations . breeding habitat is in open country ( prairie or tundra ) , or lowland woodlands and clearings , always near shallow water . during winter and migration they will use virtually any wetland as long as it has muddy edges . shovelers will forage in sewage ponds and stagnant or polluted waters avoided by other species of ducks .
northern shovelers rarely tip up , but filter mud through their bills , swimming with their heads outstretched , bills skimming the water ' s surface , sifting out food . in flight they stay in tight bunches , weaving to and fro like shorebirds . shovelers are the most territorial of all the north american dabblers , and pair bonds remain intact through incubation , unlike most other species of ducks .
northern shovelers migrate in small isolated flocks of 10 - 25 individuals and travel both day and night . in north america , 2 main migration corridors are favored . one passage extends along the mississippi and missouri valleys , through the central plains to the gulf coast and central mexico . the second migration corridor extends from western canada through the intermountain regions of california and down to the west coast of mexico .
members of the anatidae flock together after breeding in large , multi - species groups at sites with good , safe foraging . at such sites , scoters , canvasbacks , and other diving ducks dive for mussels in the deep sections while dabblers such as gadwall and northern shovelers forage on the surface and in the shallows . on the shore , grazers such as geese and the american widgeon forage on grass .
it arrives on the breeding grounds from march ( with a migration peak around the end of april ) where it breeds in solitary pairs or loose groups in the northern spring ( chiefly from mid - april to june ) . males undergo a post - breeding moult migration from early - may to early - june ( females moulting one month later ) during which they are flightless for 3 - 4 weeks .
the breeding season for northern shovelers begins on the wintering grounds in december , where courtship of hens by a group of drakes commences . by january , the majority of individuals have paired before they start their spring migration and most return to the same breeding grounds they used the previous year . once on the breeding grounds , males defend their females and territory strenuously while the females locate nest sites and begin nest construction .
thanks for this timely post , and congratulations on the great photos and videos ! i love watching northern shovelers here on the olympic peninsula . until this week , i’d only observed their skimming on the surface and upending foraging behaviors . this week i watched a pair swimming in a circle , each one spinning , with the circle creating a funnel effect . it was fascinating , and i wondered ever since what they were doing .
males weigh 17 to 38 ounces ( 470 to 1000g ) and their wingspans are usually around 31 inches ( 227 to 251mm ) . females are 17 to 28 ounces ( 470 to 800g ) . northern shovelers are sexually dimorphic . the males head , neck , and speculum are iridescent green , their chests are white , and the remaining underparts are a bright chestnut . the females are mainly a pattern of buffs and browns . both sexes have pale blue inner forewings and orange - yellow legs and feet . the most distinctive feature is their large spatulate bill . it is twice as wide at the tip than it is at the base . this uniquely shaped bill gives rise to northern shovelers also being called
spoonbills
. the ducklings hatch with a typical duckbill that enlarges as the duckling matures . ( goodes and boyer , 1986 ; todd , 1979 )
most duck species migrate north of japan to breed , and the shoveler is no exception . it is only rarely encountered during summer . now that autumn is here , however , and migration is underway , more and more shovelers are arriving to join the wigeon and pintail flocks . from early september to november , they are fairly common in hokkaido , passing through on their southbound migration . then , from mid - october onward they become more common in honshu . having spent the winter here , they seem much scarcer in spring , so perhaps they migrate northwards again by way of the continent .
a northern shoveler feeds mainly by drawing water into its bill and then pumping it out through the sides with their tongue , filtering out minute food particles with long comb - like lamellae that line the edge of the bill . the particles mainly consist of tiny crustaceans , molluscs , insects , and their larvae as well as seeds and pieces of leaves and stems of plants . in addition to the food particles they also eat water beetles , small minnows , and snails . social feeding is common . the shovelers are drawn to feeding areas by other birds feeding in an area . shovelers take advantage of the food particles churned to the surface by the other birds swimming or wading in the area . single birds may swim in a tight circle to create a whirlpool to cause food to come to the surface . shovelers are also known to upend or dabble , usually for lengthier periods than other surface feeders , and also dive using their wings to swim underwater in shallow marshes . ( gooders and boyer , 1986 , johnsgard , 1969 , todd , 1979 )
with vegetation constituting 60 % its diet , northern shovelers tend to forage on water bodies that are high in plant diversity . vegetated water bodies provide seed from various plants including pondweed , bulrush , various grasses , sedges and algae . the remainder of its diet consists of mollusks , aquatic insects and zooplankton . more specifically , they prefer to forage on animals such as fingernail clams , water boatmans , midge and caddis fly larvae , and copepods and ostracods .
the edges of its beak are ridged , and these ridges have a very distinctive function . they serve to filter out food from the surface of the water . although these are very small ridges , they function as sieves , similar to the way the baleen does for some of the whales . whereas most of the dabbling ducks are almost exclusively vegetarian , the shoveler’s diet includes far more animal matter than any of its close relatives . they are able to sieve the surface waters of wet rice fields , marshes , ponds and lakes , and so catch a range of animal matter too , which can include insects , mollusks , crustaceans and even small fish .
although easily recognizable , this species is less well known than other dabbling ducks such as the mallard ( anas platyrhynchos ) , northern pintail ( a . acuta ) , or green - winged teal ( a . crecca ) . even among waterfowl hunters , it rates a low standing , perhaps as much from ignorance of this species as from experience . although this duck has been well studied in north america and the western palearctic , less is known about its biology and habits in asia .
northern shovelers are by no means the only waterfowl to look out for this season . the wild swans , the whooper and bewick’s are already here , working their way into the country from the north , as are the flocks of geese . large numbers of white - fronted and bean geese are already pausing at their traditional sites in hokkaido , and in another week or so they will be heading south for honshu . with them this year are several rarities in the shape of snow geese and swan geese .
the unique bill morphology of northern shovelers allows this species to exhibit one of the most unusual feeding behaviors of any duck . its large spoon shaped bill is adapted for sifting large amounts of muddy water . their tongues are highly specialized with extensive comb - like teeth called lamellae , which help filter food items from the water . moving its head side to side , water is drawn in at the tip of the bill , filtered through the lamellae to pick up any food particulate and then expelled at the base .
national wildlife refuges are a great place to look for northern shovelers from migration throughout the winter months ( august–april ) . look around the fringes of shallow areas for groups of ducks with their heads down foraging intently . they tend to use more stagnant pools of water than other ducks , so you may also find them in smaller and murkier pools of water . the male ' s bright white chest will surely attract your attention if you don ' t immediately see their giant bill . shovelers are a little less wary than other ducks , sometimes affording closer looks without the need of a spotting scope .
northern shovelers , related to the blue - winged and cinnamon teal , are often referred to as the
spoonbill
or
spoony
because of their unique spatulate shaped bill . breeding males are distinguished by a green / black head , white belly , rufous flanks and black bill . females show similar body patterns as males but tend to be more gray and their bills are orange , speckled with black . at a casual glance , individuals can easily be mistaken for mallards but can be distinguished from them by the large blue patch they display on their shoulder and their iridescent green speculum ( a lustrous colored patch on the wing ) as opposed to the absence of a shoulder patch and violet blue speculum of the mallard
larry jordan was introduced to birding after moving to northern california where he was overwhelmed by the local wildlife , forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard . building birdhouses and putting up feeders brought the avian fauna even closer and he was hooked . larry wanted to share his passion for birds and conservation and hatched the birder ' s report in september of 2007 . his recent focus is on bringing the western burrowing owl back to life in california where he also monitors several bluebird trails . he is a birdlife species champion and contributes to several other conservation efforts , being the webmaster for wintu audubon society and the director of strategic initiatives for the urban bird foundation . he is now co - founder of a movement to create a new revenue stream for our national wildlife refuges with a wildlife conservation pass .
northern shovelers swim through wetlands , often with their bills down in the water , swinging them side to side to filter out tiny crustacean prey . sometimes large groups swim in circles to stir up food . they don ' t forage on land regularly , but they do rest on land and walk along wetland edges . they are fairly social ducks , occurring in groups with shovelers and other dabbling ducks , especially during the winter . during the breeding season , they are less tolerant of other shovelers encroaching on their territory . defensive males often chase intruders on the water and in the air . males court females on the wintering grounds with turns , dips , wing flaps , and head pumping . pairs stay together during the breeding season , although males will occasionally mate with a second female . after breeding , males group together in small flocks before and after molting . males molt their flight feathers before migrating south , becoming flightless for a brief period , when they tend to stay hidden in vegetation especially at night .
distribution : this species have a very broad geographic ranges estimated at around 10 , 000 , 000 km2 .
this duck is especially found in water bodies rich in aquatic vegetation and in plankton . suitable habitats include well - vegetated lakes , ponds and marshes with muddy shores and substrates in open country - such as grasslands or even tundra - or lowland woodlands and clearings for nesting , as well as oxbow lakes , channels and swamps , notably in the former u . s . s . r . . it also frequents artificial waters bordered by lush grassland such as sewage farms , rice - fields and fish ponds .
the autumn migration begins in august , peaks in september , and continues into november . the species is then likely to travel on a broad front , with the western european populations spreading across arabia and into africa .
birds of eden in plettenberg bay , south africa is a world - class free flight bird sanctuary that aims to create a safe environment in which to release a large collection of free - flight african birds and miniature monkeys .
© copyright 2016 birds of eden . all rights reserved . hosting by urltoken site development by handmade connections .
combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing , the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size is extremely large , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : spatula clypeata . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .
monval , j - y . and pirot , j - y . 1989 . results of the [ more ]
scott , d . a . and rose , p . m . 1996 . atlas of anatidae [ more ]
trolliet , b , girard , o , benmergui , m . , schricke , [ more ]
average weight : m 1 . 5 lbs . , f 1 . 4 lbs .
among the smaller waterfowl , there are basically two types : there are ducks that dive , and there are those that dabble . diving ducks , such as the tufted duck , scaup , scoter , harlequin and long - tailed duck , are birds of open , deep water , birds of lakes , coasts and the open ocean . dabbling ducks , on the other hand , are birds of ponds and streams , shallow lakes and marshes . some of them can be seen in considerable concentrations in japan during the winter .
the females in turn are camouflaged with fine patterning in brown , so that when confined to their nests incubating their eggs they blend in well with marshland vegetation . that camouflage is important in reducing the chances that they may be found by predators — so you can imagine that the boldly marked males are highly conspicuous in contrast . once the mating game has been played ( and won or lost ) , the males quickly lose their brighter plumes and adopt a drabber version . this is more like the camouflage of the females . they spend several months during the middle and latter part of summer , even into autumn , in this guise , but once winter approaches they start shifting back into brighter colors again .
they change their colors and their behavior too , two characteristics that may indeed be linked in some important way . during winter , shovelers and other ducks are most often found in flocks , often very large ones , and in these numbers there is safety . the confusion factor is considerable , because when startled they all take wing together , and the rush of thousands of birds into the air is enough to stall the attack of many a predator . the individual that may have been the focus of the predator’s attentions is suddenly lost in the crowd , and if the predator switches its attentions to another , that too may quickly disappear into the melee .
sometimes , peregrine falcons are drawn to these wintering sites of duck . however , if any of you have watched a peregrine attacking , you will have noticed that it is more than likely to try its luck on a bird that has for some reason become isolated from the flock , rather than one within the flock itself . from the predator’s perspective it must also consider safety . flying at very high speed into a dense flock of slow - moving , heavy ducks is not a sensible approach . the risks of collision and injury to the predator’s own flying equipment — its feathers and wings — are too great .
rhaps it is that safety - in - numbers aspect of winter flock - life that means the dabbling duck males are able to return to their bright plumage at this time of year , rather than wait for spring . on the other hand , could it be perhaps that there are females among those wintering flocks to be wooed in readiness for the next breeding season ?
either way , shovelers and other dabbling ducks are steadily assuming their best plumage of the year . wait for a clear , crisp winter’s day , when the sun is low and bright , and you will find that their iridescent colors seem to glow .
it is worthwhile to take a closer look at the flocks of wintering duck . their bright plumage is inevitably the first feature that catches the eye . however , settle in and wait a while and you will find that their behavior is interesting and an equally effective way of telling them apart .
mallard and spot - billed ducks are heavily built ducks that dabble away at the surface most of the time . their stubby bills are suited to sieving pond weed from the surface of the water . the pintails , in contrast , have slender , longer necks and they use them to good effect reaching submerged plant food . they often lean forward , submerging their heads and necks to reach the vegetation lower down , while their long pointed tails rise vertically .
over 2 , 000 volunteers take part in hong kong beach cleanup to help turtles more than 2 , 000 volunteers hit the beaches on an outlying island of hong kong for a mass cleanup sunday as environmental campaigners warned plastic is killing sea turtles and other wildlife . . . .
a wetland works wonders in battered tohoku between the ages of 13 and 17 , i went to cheltenham grammar school for boys in that picturesque spa town on the edge of the cotswold hills in gloucestershire , england . back then my favor . . .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
ioc _ names _ file _ plus - 8 . 2g : 8 . 2
landfowl ( galliformes ) and waterfowl ( anseriformes ) together ( galloanseres ) are sister to all other extant non - paleognath birds ( neoaves ) .
bering i . , n kurile is . ( ne russia ) and aleutian is . ( usa )
change english name from mascarene sheldgoose to mauritius sheldgoose with recognition of reunion sheldgoose as a separate species .
also called spectacled duck ( sacc ) . bronze - winged duck is the long established name in aviculture .
( gonzalez et al . 2009 , h & m4 , nacc 2017 - b - 10 )
and resequence ( gonzalez et al . 2009 , h & m4 , nacc 2017 - b - 10 )
and resequenced ( gonzalez et al . 2009 , h & m4 , nacc 2017 - b - 10 ) .
is related to black and mottled ducks and should be recognized ( mccracken et al . 2001 ) ; lump by aou cites only hubbard ( 1977 )
. treat as monotypic . clinal . sangster et al 2001 , carboneras et al 2017 .
( livezey 1995 ; collinson et al . 2006 , sangster 2009 ) ; accepted by bou ( sangster et al . 2005 ) & aou ( 2010 , nacc supplement 51 , but english names were mixed up )
formerly auckland merganser . although limited to auckland island in historical times , fossil record shows that this species was also formerly present on north , south and stewart islands . gill et al 2010 .
. here treated as a subspecies of hybrid origin . see lozano - jaramillo et al , 2018 . assigned to
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
cramp , s . and simmons , k . e . l . ( eds ) . 1977 - 1994 . handbook of the birds of europe , the middle east and africa . the birds of the western palearctic . oxford university press , oxford .
spatula clypeata ( del hoyo and collar 2014 ) was previously placed in the genus anas .
ashpole , j , butchart , s . , ekstrom , j . , malpas , l .
justification : this species has an extremely large range , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the range size criterion ( extent of occurrence < 20 , 000 km 2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size , habitat extent / quality , or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation ) . despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing , the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population trend criterion ( > 30 % decline over ten years or three generations ) . the population size is extremely large , and hence does not approach the thresholds for vulnerable under the population size criterion ( < 10 , 000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be > 10 % in ten years or three generations , or with a specified population structure ) . for these reasons the species is evaluated as least concern .
australia ; bermuda ; botswana ; brunei darussalam ; cameroon ; ecuador ; faroe islands ; french polynesia ; greenland ; guinea ; jamaica ; mozambique ; namibia ; new zealand ; rwanda ; saint pierre and miquelon ; seychelles ; south africa ; svalbard and jan mayen ; venezuela , bolivarian republic of ; virgin islands , british ; virgin islands , u . s . ; zimbabwe
the global population is estimated to number c . 6 , 500 , 000 - 7 , 000 , 000 individuals ( wetlands international 2015 ) . the european population is estimated at 170 , 000 - 233 , 000 pairs , which equates to 340 , 000 - 466 , 000 mature individuals ( birdlife international 2015 ) . trend justification : the overall population trend is decreasing , although some populations may be increasing and others have unknown trends ( wetlands international 2015 ) . this species has undergone a small or statistically insignificant increase over the last 40 years in north america ( data from breeding bird survey and / or christmas bird count : butcher and niven 2007 ) . the european population trend is estimated to be stable ( birdlife international 2015 ) .
. the autumn migration chiefly occurs between september and october ( western europe ) , during which the species is likely to travel on a broad front ( e . g . across arabia and into africa ) ( scott and rose 1996 )
, as well as oxbow lakes , channels and swamps ( former u . s . s . r . ) ( flint
, annelids , amphibian spawn , tadpoles , spiders , fish and the vegetative parts of aquatic plants ( e . g . duckweeds ) ( johnsgard 1978 , brown
a study in the czech republic found that fish ponds with a fish stock density of less than 400 kg / ha , water transparency of more than 50 cm , mixed fish stocks ( e . g . tench and pike or perch ) rather than monospecific stocks ( e . g . of carp ) , and systems that include ponds with fish fry ( to provide areas with low fish competition and high invertebrate availability ) are more successful in supporting breeding pairs of this species ( musil 2006 )
2002 , bartoszewicz and zalewski 2003 ) . it is susceptible to avian influenza ( melville and shortridge 2006 , gaidet
so may be threatened by future outbreaks of these diseases . the species may suffer from reproductive impairment as a result of selenium ( se ) accumulation in liver tissues ( selenium contained in sub - surface agricultural drain - water used for wetland management in california led to bioaccumulation of the element in the food chain ) ( paveglio
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
shovelers eat tiny crustaceans , other aquatic invertebrates , and seeds which they filter out of the water with comblike projections ( called lamellae ) along the edge of the bill .
females make a small depression on the ground , generally in areas with short vegetation within 150 feet of water .
females use their body , feet , and bill to make a small depression on the ground about 8 inches wide . the nest scrape is usually surrounded on at least three sides by vegetation and lined with downy feathers .
dunne , p . ( 2006 ) . pete dunne ' s essential field guide companion . houghton mifflin harcourt , new york , usa .
ehrlich , p . r . , d . s . dobkin and d . wheye ( 1988 ) . the birder ' s handbook . a field guide to the natural history of north american birds , including all species that regularly breed north of mexico . simon and schuster inc . , new york , usa .


microsynodontis notata is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to gabon where it occurs in the ogowe river .

it was first described in 2004 by ng heok hee .

microsynodontis notata

consisted of nine distinct species , eight of which are undescribed . this study reviews the microsynodontis
justification : microsynodontis notata is only known from the type locality the ezanga river , about midway between lake ezanga and the lower ogowe mainstream in gabon ( ng 2004 ) . the species has recently ( 2004 ) been described and may be more widespread than is currently known . more information is needed on the species distribution before an assessment can be made .
froese , rainer , and daniel pauly , eds . ( 2013 ) . species of microsynodontis in fishbase . april 2013 version .
microsynodontis : from the greek mikros , meaning small , and synodontis ; in reference to the small size of members of this genus .
microsynodontis used to be one species microsynodontis batesi . it has been split into nine species . according to brummett , r . it is almost impossible to tell them apart and it is doubtful regarding their species status ( pers . comm . brummett , r . and reid , g . mcg . ) .
is only known from the lower guinea region ( in the campo , ivindo , ntem , nyong and sanaga river drainages ) . very little material of microsynodontis
not found in the lower guinea region are given in table 10 ) . however , the numbers of oral teeth , a character considered diagnostic in other mochokid genera , are not useful in diagnosing species of microsynodontis
ng , heok hee ( 2004 ) .
the microsynodontis ( teleostei : siluriformes : mochokidae ) of the lower guinea region , west central africa , with the description of eight new species
. zootaxa 531 : 1–52 .
the genus microsynodontis has an interrupted lateral line . the caudal fin is usually rounded or truncate , sometimes with a slight indent . there is a long adipose fin with no fin ray . three pairs of barbels with the mandibular barbels branched .
heok hee ng ( 2004 ) : the microsynodontis ( teleostei : siluriformes : mochokidae ) of the lower guinea region , west central africa , with the description of eight new species . zootaxa 531 , 1 - 52 : 43 - 50 , urltoken
heok hee ng ( 2004 ) : the microsynodontis ( teleostei : siluriformes : mochokidae ) of the lower guinea region , west central africa , with the description of eight new species . zootaxa 531 , 1 - 52 : 2 - 2 , urltoken
ng , h . h . , 2004 . the microsynodontis ( teleostei : siluriformes : mochokidae ) of the lower guinea region , west central africa , with the description of eight new species . zootaxa 531 : 1 - 52 . ( ref . 52369 )
6b . eyes without free orbital margin ; 12 to 14 principal caudal - fin rays ; tail truncate or rounded ; 6 or 7 pectoral - fin rays ( typically 6 ) ; lateral mandibular barbels with single , gracile branches at each point along length ( fig . 27a ) … microsynodontis
microsynodontis species express sexual dimorphism . males can be distinguished by the presence of a conical genital papilla immediately posterior to the anus ; in females , this papilla is smaller and has a flattened tip . males also have a much denser aggregation of tubercles on the head . in m . hirsutus these tubercles are longer than in the other species .
( fide matthes , 1964 ) , but is a valid species . the freshwater ichthyofauna of the lower guinea region ( here defined as the portion of west central africa delineated by the cross river drainage to the north and the chiloango river drainage to the south ; fide roberts , 1975 ) is one of the least explored in africa ( teugels & guégan , 1994 ) . microsynodontis batesii
) from within several closely situated localities within the ntem river drainage in northern gabon and southern cameroon leads me to conclude that although intraspecific variation in color ( and certainly in biometrics ) exists , color patterns are useful diagnostic characters once the degree of intraspecific variation is understood . furthermore , diagnostic characters not previously identified , some of which have been used in other mochokid genera , were found to be useful for distinguishing species of microsynodontis
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en
urltoken
the root of the current tree connects the organisms featured in this tree to their containing group and the rest of the tree of life . the basal branching point in the tree represents the ancestor of the other groups in the tree . this ancestor diversified over time into several descendent subgroups , which are represented as internal nodes and terminal taxa to the right .
you can click on the root to travel down the tree of life all the way to the root of all life , and you can click on the names of descendent subgroups to travel up the tree of life all the way to individual species .
for more information on tol tree formatting , please see interpreting the tree or classification . to learn more about phylogenetic trees , please visit our phylogenetic biology pages .
the mochokidae are a family of african catfishes known commonly as ‘squeakers’ and ‘upside - down catfishes . ’ these common names refer to some unusual habits of certain members of the large genus synodontis . the name squeaker refers to the fact that , when agitated , many species in the genus are capable of making a squeaking noise by stridulation of the pectoral spine against the pectoral girdle ( jubb , 1967 ) ; stridulation is also apparent in mochokiella paynei and some species of atopochilus .
fossil mochokids , of the genus synodontis , have been found in deposits from eastern and northern africa dating to at least the early miocene ( at least 20 mya ) ( stewart , 2001 ) . interestingly , fragments of pectoral spines of synodontis dating from the early oligocene have been found in oman , an area where mochokids do not exist today ( otero & gayet , 2001 ) . fossil mochokids outside of the genus synodontis are presently unknown .
little is known about the ecology of most mochokids . what is known pertains mostly to diet and is biased towards species of synodontis . stomach contents from synodontis have included insects , nematodes , crustaceans , mollusks , annelids , seeds , algae , diatoms , fish scales and , incidentally , sand ( bishai & abu gideiri , 1965a ; bishai & abu gideiri , 1965b ; winemiller & kelso - winemiller , 1996 ; sanyanga , 1998 ) . from observations of stomach contents , the diet of most mochokids is probably very similar ; that is , they are omnivores . for some of the larger sucker - mouthed species ( i . e . , atopochilus and euchilichthys ) the stomach contents contain a high proportion of silt , algae and detritus . for these taxa it seems likely that scraping or grazing is the predominant method of feeding .
lateral view of atopochilus vogti , illustrating typical body shape in sucker - mouthed mochokids ; cu 93752 . ©
pigmentation and patterning of mochokid skin is also diverse . mochokids are popular in the pet trade because they have showy colors , sharply contrasting patterns like stripes and polka - dots and , quite often , extravagant fins . as some of the largest and most active mochokids , species of synodontis display an amazing array of patterns and pigmentation that may , in some cases , serve as visual cues to conspecifics . it might also be true that the bright , contrasting coloration found in some species serves as a warning to predators . like many catfishes , some mochokids possess specialized poison glands for delivering offensive chemicals along with a ‘stick’ by the pectoral spine ; anecdotal accounts indicate that these wounds can be very painful . however , field studies that might demonstrate function of these varied patterns have not been done .
lateral view of synodontis ornatipinnis , illustrating the striking patterns seen in some species of synodontis ; cu 91403 . ©
many mochokid species exhibit obvious sexual dimorphism . for example , many species in the genus chiloglanis show dimorphism of the caudal and anal fins ( roberts , 1989 ; seegers , 1996 ; friel & vigliotta , 2006 ) ; some chiloglanis also display sexual dimorphism of the cleithral process , wherein males possess a greatly enlarged process shielding the flank . in the closely related genus atopochilus , sexual dimorphism of the anal fin is sometimes evident . some mochokids exhibit spiny ornamentation of the skull roof bones , opercular series and pectoral girdle ( friel & vigliotta , 2006 ) . in the case of synodontis acanthoperca , a spine found at the rear of the opercle is , itself , sexually dimorphic . the spines of males are much larger than those of females . this is also true for mochokiella paynei ( personal observation ) , which was previously unknown to possess opercular spines or exhibit sexual dimorphism .
dorsal view of heads illustrating sexual dimorphism of the opercular spine in synodontis acanthoperca : a . cu 89005 , male holotype , 44 . 1 mm sl ; b . cu 89006 , female paratype , 40 . 4 mm sl . the pectoral spines in both specimens have been removed from the images to make the margins of the head more distinct against the background . scale bar equals 1 mm . ©
vigliotta ( 2008 ) provides several synapomorphies as diagnostic features for the mochokidae including : absense of the ascending process of meckel’s cartilage ; a shortened horizontal process of meckel’s cartilage ; coronomeckalian extremely reduced or even absent ; absence of a coronoid process ; absence of an interhyal ; presence of a pectoral locking foramen ( absence / reversal in most suckermouthed species ) ; seven pelvic - fin rays ; fusion of upper caudal - fin elements ( absence / reversal in atopochilus and euchilichthys ) ; a reduced number of mandibular sensory canal pores ( 3 or fewer ) ; and distinctive , ramified inner and outer mandibular barbels ( absence / reversal in suckermouthed mochokids where these barbels are partially or completely incorporated into an expanded lower lip ) .
1a . lips and barbels modified into oral disc ( fig . 27c ) ; postcleithral process short ( fig . 22c ) ; 5 infraorbitals ( figs . 2c , 4b ) ; pelvic - fin origin at vertical at end of dorsal - fin base . . . 2
1b . lips and barbels not modified into oral disc ; postcleithral process quite long ( fig . 22b ) ; 4 infraorbitals figs . 2b , 4a ) ; pelvic - fin origin beyond end of dorsal - fin base . . . 5
2a . mandibular teeth bunched ( in bouquet ) at midline ( fig . 3d in friel and vigliotta , 2008 ) in or spread across mouth opening in one or two discrete rows ( fig . 3e–f in friel and vigliotta , 2008 ) ; eyes without free orbital margin ; mandibular sensory - canal absent ; 4 to 6 dorsalfin rays ( typically 5 ) ; 5 to 7 branchiostegal rays ( typically 5 or 6 ) … chiloglanis
2b . mandibular teeth spread across mouth opening in more than two discrete rows ( fig . 3a–c in friel and vigliotta , 2008 ) ; eyes with free orbital margin ; mandibular sensory canal present , with 2 pores on each side ; 6 to 7 dorsal - fin rays ; 7 to 8 branchiostegal rays . . . 3
3a . small anteriorly directed pocket underneath lower lip produced by folds of skin ( fig . 4a in friel and vigliotta , 2008 ) ; width of mandibular tooth rows less than 66 % width of paired premaxillae ( fig . 3a in friel and vigliotta , 2008 ) ; caudal fin emarginate ; gas bladder extremely reduced to two small bulbs ( fig . 5 ) … atopodontus
3b . small anteriorly directed pocket underneath lower lip absent ( fig . 4b in friel and vigliotta , 2008 ) ; width of mandibular tooth rows more than 66 % width of paired premaxillae ( fig . 3b–c in friel and vigliotta , 2008 ) ; caudal fin forked ; gas bladder only modestly reduced ( fig . 3c ) . . . 4
4a . mandibular teeth spatulate and unicuspid ( fig . 10c ) ; large posterior pectoral - spine serrae ; one or only a few pores at sites along the cephalic sensory canals ; fewer than 40 vertebrae … atopochilus
4b . mandibular teeth with lengthwise keel creating trowel shape and sometimes bicuspid from wear ( fig . 10a ) ; small posterior pectoral - spine serrae ; several pores at various sites along the cephalic sensory canals ; more than 40 vertebrae … euchilichthys
5a . s - shaped auxiliary dentary teeth present ( fig . 10a , c–f ) ; premaxillary teeth differentiated by shape and size front to back ; lips plicate ( with folds at corners of mouth ) . . . 6
5b . s - shaped auxiliary dentary teeth absent ( fig . 10b ) ; premaxillary teeth showing little , if any , differentiation from front to back ; lips papillose , but not plicate ( without folds ) . . . 7
6a . eyes with free orbital margin ; 17 principal caudal - fin rays ( only 13 in synodontis contracta ) ; tail forked ; 6 to 10 pectoral - fin rays ( usually 8 or 9 ) ; lateral mandibular barbels with single , gracile branches at each point along length or doubly branched ( fig . 27a–b ) … synodontis
7a . dorsal surface of the head and nuchal shield covered by large ridges and spinous projections ; cleithrum bearing spine in males ; rounded , blunt postcleithral process ; anus and urogenital opening distant ; free orbital margin present ; gill openings open to isthmus ; tips of mandibular teeth spatulate ; medial mandibular barbels with multiple , thick branches at each point along length ( fig . 27b ) ; 8 to 9 pectoral - fin rays ; 17 caudal - fin rays ; more than 40 vertebrae … acanthocliethron
7b . dorsal surface of the head and nuchal shield without ridges and spinous projections ; cleithrum without spine in males ; pointed postcleithral process ; anus and urogenital opening very close ; free orbital margin absent ; gill openings restricted to sides of the head ; tips of mandibular teeth pointed ; medial mandibular barbels with single , gracile branches at each point along length ( fig . 27a ) ; 5 to 7 pectoral - fin rays ; 13 or 15 caudal - fin rays ; fewer than 36 vertebrae . . . 8
bishai h . m . and y . b . abu gideiri . 1965a . studies on the biology of genus synodontis at khartoum . i . age and growth . hydrobiologia 26 : 8597 .
bishai h . m . and y . b . abu gideiri . 1965b . studies on the biology of genus synodontis at khartoum . ii . food and feeding habits . hydrobiologia 26 : 98113 .
bishai h . m . and y . b . abu gideiri . 1968 . studies on the biology of genus synodontis at khartoum . iii . reproduction . hydrobiologia 31 : 193202 .
chapman , l . j . , l . kaufman , and c . a . chapman . 1994 . why swim upside - down - a comparative study of 2 mochokid catfishes . copeia 1994 : 130135 .
day , j . j . , and m . wilkinson . 2006 . on the origin of the synodontis catfish species flock from lake tanganyika . biology letters 2 : 548552 .
de weirdt , d . , e . vreven , and y . fermon . 2008 . synodontis ngouniensis , a new species ( siluriformes : mochikidae ) from ngounié and nyanga basins , gabon and republic of congo . ichthyological exploration of freshwaters 19 ( 2 ) : 121128 .
ferraris , c . j . , jr . 2007 . checklist of catfishes , recent and fossil ( osteichthyes : siluriformes ) , and catalogue of siluriform primary types . zootaxa 1418 : 1628 .
friel , j . p . , and j . p . sullivan . 2008 . synodontis woleuensis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) , a new species of catfish from gabon and equatorial guinea , africa . proceedings of the academy of natural sciences of philadelphia 157 : 312 .
friel , j . p . and t . r . vigliotta . 2006 . synodontis acanthoperca , a new species from the ogôoué river system , gabon with comments on spiny ornamentation and sexual dimorphism in mochokid catfishes ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . zootaxa 1125 : 4556 .
friel , j . p . and t . r . vigliotta . 2008 . atopodontus adriaensi , a new genus and species of african suckermouth catfish from the ogôoué and nyanga river systems of gabon ( siluriformes mochokidae ) . proceedings of the academy of natural sciences of philadelphia 157 : 1323 .
jubb , r . a . 1967 . freshwater fishes of southern africa . cape town , amsterdam , balkema , 248 pp .
koblmüller , s . , c . sturmbauer , e . verheyen , a . meyer , and w . salzburger . 2006 . mitochondrial phylogeny and phylogeography of east african squeaker catfishes ( siluriformes : synodontis ) . bmc evolutionary biology 6 : 49 .
musschoot , t . , and p . lalèyè . 2008 . designation of a neotype for synodontis schall ( bloch and schneider , 1801 ) and description of two new species of synodontis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . journal of natural history 42 ( 17 - 18 ) : 13031331 .
ng , h . h . and r . m . bailey . 2006 . chiloglanis productus , a new species of suckermouth catfish ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) from zambia . occasional papers of the university of michigan museum of zoology 738 : 113 .
otero , o . and m . gayet . 2001 . palaeoichthyofaunas from the lower oligocene and miocene of the arabian plate : palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical implications . palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology 165 : 141169 .
roberts , t . r . 1989 . systematic revision and description of new species of suckermouth catfishes ( chiloglanis , mochokidae ) from cameroun . proceedings of the california academy of sciences series 4 , 46 : 151178 .
sanyanga , r . a . 1998 . food composition and selectivity of synodontis zambezensis ( pisces : mochokidae ) in lake kariba , and the ecological implications . hydrobiologia 361 : 8999 .
sato , t . 1986 . a brood parasitic catfish of mouthbrooding cichlid fishes in lake tanganyika . nature 323 : 5859 .
seegers , l . 1996 . the fishes of the lake rukwa drainage . musée royal de lafrique centrale , annales , sciences zoologiques 278 : 1407 .
seegers , l . 2008 . the catfishes of africa . a handbook for identification and maintenance . aqualog verlag , rodgau , germany . 604 pp .
stewart , k . m . 2001 . the freshwater fish of neogene africa ( miocene - pleistocene ) : systematics and biogeography . fish and fisheries ( oxford ) 2 : 177230
vigliotta , t . r . 2008 . a phylogenetic study of the african catfish family mochokidae ( osteichthyes , ostariophysi , siluriformes ) , with a key to genera . proceedings of the academy of natural sciences of philadelphia 157 : 73136 .
winemiller , k . o . , and l . c . kelso - winemiller . 1996 . comparative ecology of catfishes of the upper zambezi river floodplain . journal of fish biology 49 : 10431061 .
wisenden , b . d . 1999 . alloparental care in fishes . reviews in fish biology and fisheries 9 : 4570 .
wright , j . j . and l . m . page . 2006 . taxonomic revision of the lake tanganyikan synodontis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . the bulletin of the florida museum of natural history 46 : 99154 .
wright , j . j . and l . m . page . 2008 . a new species of synodontis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) from tributaries of the kasai river in northern angola . copeia 2008 ( 2 ) : 294300 .
this media file is licensed under the creative commons attribution - noncommercial license - version 3 . 0 .
correspondence regarding this page should be directed to john p . friel at and thomas r . vigliotta at
. note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license , and they may or may not be available for reuse . click on an image or a media link to access the media data window , which provides the relevant licensing information . for the general terms and conditions of tol material reuse and redistribution , please see the
. african squeaker and suckermouth catfishes . version 02 march 2009 ( under construction ) .
each tol branch page provides a synopsis of the characteristics of a group of organisms representing a branch of the tree of life . the major distinction between a branch and a leaf of the tree of life is that each branch can be further subdivided into descendent branches , that is , subgroups representing distinct genetic lineages .
for a more detailed explanation of the different tol page types , have a look at the structure of the tree of life page .
tree of life design and icons copyright © 1995 - 2004 tree of life project . all rights reserved .
greek , mikros = small + greek , synodon = with the teeth growing all together ( ref . 45335 )
species name from the latin notatus , meaning marked , in reference to the dark elongate spots frequently present in this species ( ref . 52369 )
africa : endemic to the lower ogowe river in gabon ( ref . 52369 , 81251 ) .
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 5 . 4 cm sl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 52369 )
dorsal spines ( total ) : 2 ; dorsal soft rays ( total ) : 6 - 7 ; anal spines : 0 ; anal soft rays : 10 - 12 ; vertebrae : 35 - 37 . diagnosis : body with numerous dark brown elongate spots ; caudal peduncle deep , 9 . 6 - 11 . 9 % sl ; anterior edge of pectoral spine with anteriorly directed serrations ; caudal fin rounded ; body moderately slender , adipose fin moderately long , its base 28 . 5 - 34 . 5 % sl ; snout length 38 . 3 - 48 . 4 % sl ; eye diameter 17 . 2 - 25 . 7 % sl ; both sexes with short ( < 0 . 1 mm ) tubercles on dorsal and lateral surfaces of head ; supracleithral process not reaching to vertical through posterior - most tip of nuchal shield ; dorsal spine curved ( ref . 81251 ) .
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 5002 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01318 ( 0 . 00577 - 0 . 03011 ) , b = 2 . 96 ( 2 . 77 - 3 . 15 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this ( sub ) family - body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 0 ±0 . 4 se ; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : high , minimum population doubling time less than 15 months ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 10 of 100 ) .
: missing argument 2 for checkecotox ( ) , called in / var / www / html / summary / speciessummary . php on line 1995 and defined in
: missing argument 3 for checkecotox ( ) , called in / var / www / html / summary / speciessummary . php on line 1995 and defined in
eschmeyer , w . n . ; fricke , r . ; van der laan , r . ( eds ) . ( 2017 ) . catalog of fishes : genera , species , references . electronic version . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
smallest 27mm , largest 100mm , average 52mm , most commonly 60mm . all sl .
has this page been useful ? please donate to our monthly hosting costs and keep us free for everyone to enjoy ! explore our youtube channel , facebook page or follow us on twitter .
© 1996 - 2018 urltoken , part of the aquatic republic network group of websites . all rights reserved . cite this website . by accessing this site you agree to our terms and conditions of use . our privacy policy .
smallest 27mm , largest 760mm , average 198mm , most commonly 100mm . all sl .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
. for further details on possible inaccuracies in the list see sources & caveats .
eschmeyer , w . n . and r . fricke , and r . van der laan ( eds ) .
. the freshwater fish lists are based on an electronic version downloaded 3 december 2015 . the current version can be accessed
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 0 / / en
- a project to provide indexing and links for all known species as the baseline dataset for studies of global biodiversity . all links below take you to pages on the urltoken site .
page created by : eli , 15 . 08 . 07 , last modified by : lei , 20 . 11 . 08
what ' s new | tropical fish home | rainforests | news | search | about | contact copyright rhett butler 1994 - 2013 the copy for urltoken was written in 1994 - 1995 . therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date . for this , i apologize . feel free to send corrections to me .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
brummett , r . , mbe tawe , a . n . , dening touokong , c . , reid , g . m . , snoeks , j . staissny , m . , moelants , t . , mamonekene , v . , ndodet , b . , ifuta , s . n . b . , chilala , a . , monsembula , r . , ibala zamba , a . , opoye itoua , o . , pouomogne , v . , darwall , w . & smith , k .
a lower guinea endemic , only known from the type locality the ezanga river , about midway between lake ezanga and the lower ogowe mainstream in gabon ( ng 2004 ) .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html + rdfa 1 . 1 / / en
species is often difficult , primarily because of the large amounts of purported variation observed in biometrics and color ( poll & gosse , 1963 ; matthes , 1964 ) ; one outcome of this observation was the synonymy of m . christyi
by matthes ( 1964 ) . these conclusions were drawn without the examination of large series from a single locality ( or at least multiple closely situated localities within the same drainage ) , and the high degree of variation reported is due to confusion between intraspecific and interspecific differences . however , after examining a large series of m . batesii
the variation in color is largely of an ontogenetic nature , and its use as a more reliable diagnostic character is possible once the limits of variation are understood . the ontogenetic change in color pattern is most marked for m . batesii
, and consists of changes in both the pigmentation pattern of the abdomen and the shape of the light - colored markings on the body . in the former case , many juvenile specimens have a dense aggregation of melanophores concentrated in a series of evenly distributed large spots on the abdomen that fade with age ( fig . 1c ) , and in the latter case , the dorsal and ventral light - colored markings may coalesce to form complete bands encircling the body , especially in the region of the caudal peduncle ( fig . 1c ) . the light - colored markings on the ventral third of the body in juvenile specimens are also more vermiform ( fig . 1c ) . in any case , m . batesii
( and all other species from the lower guinea region ) of all sizes always possess a light - colored band encircling the nape , which is absent in m . christyi
of all sizes examined , even in preserved material . therefore , the absence of this band is a useful diagnostic character for distinguishing m . christyi
in having a deeper caudal peduncle ( 10 . 0 - 11 . 8 % sl vs . 5 . 8 - 9 . 2 ) . the distributions of the two species also suggest that they are different : m . christyi
from the middle congo river drainage was available for study , but the examination of all material available suggests that there are no species in common between the middle congo river drainage and those of the lower guinea region . this is so even when the tributaries of the congo and the smaller coastal drainages of the lower guinea region are immediately adjacent , as in the case of the material identified as m . batesii
from the dja river ( a tributary of the congo river flowing approximately southwest in southern cameroon and located adjacent to the ntem river drainage ) , which is not conspecific with m . batesii
this study reveals the importance of some biometric measurements as diagnostic characters . in particular , two of the species described here , m . nannoculus
, are distinguished from congeners chiefly by biometric measurements . bivariate analyses ( ancova ) of the regression lines of eye diameter ( fig . 17 ) , snout length ( fig . 18 ) , caudal peduncle depth ( fig . 19 ) , adipose basal length ( fig . 20 ) and caudal - fin length ( fig . 21 ) on sl are significantly different ( given the number of taxa used in the analysis , it was not possible to display all of them on the biplots without obscuring key patterns and only the key taxa for each biometric value are used in figs . 17 - 21 ) . the p values of the analyses are given in table 11 , and it can be seen that regression lines are all significantly different for the eye diameter of m . nannoculus
species can be distinguished from females by the presence of a conical genital papilla immediately posterior to the anus ( females have a smaller papilla that is distally flattened ) and ( especially in mature adults of all lower guinea species except for m . emarginatus
) by a much denser aggregation of tubercles on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the head , especially in the region on the sides of the head from the snout to the preopercle . the presence of tubercles has been used as a diagnostic character in the mochokidae , e . g . in synodontis
. the results of this study indicate that tubercle shape is useful in diagnosing at least one species , m . hirsutus
, from its congeners . although the number and density of tubercles differ both sexually and ontogenetically , the tubercles retain their characteristic shape in specimens of both sexes and all sizes in m . hirsutus
species are occasionally imported for the aquarium trade and are not considered rare , very little is known of their biology , from either field or aquarium observations . this is probably because these fishes , like many other small fishes in ichthyological expeditions , are often overlooked and are thus not particularly well represented in collections . with the number of species identified in this study , it is clear that this element of the ichthyofauna ( the miniature species ) is in need of further study .
1 . caudal fin emarginate ( fig . 9a ) ( ogooué river drainage ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . emarginatus
- caudal fin rounded or truncate ( figs . 9b - c ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 . anterior edge of pectoral spine smooth ( ivindo river drainage ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . laevigatus
- anterior edge of pectoral spine serrated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3 . body always without numerous dark brown elongate spots ; caudal peduncle slender ( 5 . 8 - 9 . 8 % sl ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
- body frequently with numerous dark brown elongate spots ; caudal peduncle deep ( 9 . 6 - 11 . 9 % sl ) ( ogooué river drainage ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . notatus
4 . adipose - fin base long ( 34 . 4 - 41 . 6 % sl ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
- adipose fin - base short ( 21 . 3 - 33 . 8 % sl ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5 . dorsal and lateral surfaces of head with long tubercles in both sexes ( up to 0 . 3 mm long ) ; dorsal spine straight ( ntem river drainage ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . hirsutus
- dorsal and lateral surfaces of head with small rounded tubercles in both sexes ( not more than 0 . 1 mm long ) ; dorsal spine gently curved ( campo , ivindo , ntem , nyong , ogooué and sanaga river drainages ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . batesii
6 . supracleithral process reaching to vertical through posteriormost tip of nuchal shield ; eye large ( 19 . 3 - 25 . 0 % hl ) ( ogooué river drainage ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . vigilis
- supracleithral process not reaching to vertical through posteriormost tip of nuchal shield ; eye small ( 10 . 6 - 19 . 6 % hl ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
7 . snout long ( 50 . 0 - 53 . 3 % hl ) ( okano river drainage ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . nasutus
8 . body slender ( 13 . 7 - 15 . 0 % sl ) ; anterior edge of pectoral spine with retrorse ( proximally directed ) serrations along proximal half ; eye larger ( 13 . 9 - 19 . 6 % hl ) ( ivindo river drainage ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . armatus
- body deep ( 17 . 6 - 19 . 9 % sl ) ; anterior edge of pectoral spine with anteriorly directed serrations along proximal half ; eye smaller ( 10 . 6 - 12 . 2 % hl ) ( ntem river drainage ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . nannoculus
no known copyright restrictions apply . see agosti , d . , egloff , w . , 2009 . taxonomic information exchange and copyright : the plazi approach . bmc research notes 2009 , 2 : 53 for further explanation .
is restricted to the rivers of western africa ( from the saint paul river drainage south and east to the congo river drainage ) , and is comprised of small mochokid catfishes diagnosed by the following synapomorphies : a narrow mesethmoid , lack of free orbital margin , transverse ventral fold of branchiostegal membranes , slender cleithral process , and a rounded or truncate caudal fin ( howes , 1980 ) .
for a forthcoming publication on the fishes of the lower guinea region ( ng , in prep . ) , it was found that material from the region previously identified as m . batesii
as their coloration can be highly variable within each species , and color patterns may even change as a fish grows ; to identify based on coloration , an understanding of the limits of variation is necessary .
except where otherwise noted , content on this site is licensed under a creative commons attribution , share alike cc by - sa licence .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
this article will be permanently flagged as inappropriate and made unaccessible to everyone . are you certain this article is inappropriate ?
crowd sourced content that is contributed to world heritage encyclopedia is peer reviewed and edited by our editorial staff to ensure quality scholarly research articles .
by using this site , you agree to the terms of use and privacy policy . world heritage encyclopedia™ is a registered trademark of the world public library association , a non - profit organization .
copyright © world library foundation . all rights reserved . ebooks from project gutenberg are sponsored by the world library foundation , a 501c ( 4 ) member ' s support non - profit organization , and is not affiliated with any governmental agency or department .
plusieurs espèces de la famille mochokidae sont importées pour les aquariums , mais peu se reproduisent régulièrement en captivité . de nouvelles et rares espèces de la famille mochokidae sont fréquemment introduites sur le marché .
distribution : l’afrique . nageoire adipeuse généralement très grande ; anale à moins de 10 rayons ; les épines des nageoires dorsale et pectorale sont généralement forte , trois paires de barbillons sensitifs tactiles , barbeaux nasales barbillons absents et le mandibulaire peut avoir de nombreuses branches , d’autres espèces possèdent des lèvres et une partie de barbillons modifié dans une ventouse orale ( atopochilus , chiloglanis et euchilichthys ) , longueur maximale 72 cm .
209 espèces dans la famille mochokidae . liste nominale des espèces appartenant à la famille mochokidae
6 synodontis petricola ' dwarf ' 1
- 1 . 5
aquarium fish $ 52 . 99
3 synodontis ocellifer 1 - 1 . 5 inch aquarium catfish $ 19 . 99
2 3 / 4
- 3 1 / 4
inch ! ! ! synodontis petricola tanganyika catfish $ 36 . 95
3 synodontis decorus 1 - 1 . 5 inch aquarium catfish $ 19 . 99
( 1 ) synodontis angelicas x eupterus catfish 1 . 0 inch african cichlid $ 9 . 99
3 synodontis eupterus 1 - 1 . 5 inch aquarium catfish $ 19 . 99
synodontis petricolas - 1 - 1 . 5 inch - live rare fish $ 10 . 99
12 synodontis petricola ' dwarf ' 1
- 1 . 5
aquarium fish $ 79 . 99
2 synodontis multipunctatus 3
( 1 m , 1 f ) aquarium catfish $ 49 . 99
( 1 ) lace synodontis cat 1 . 0 inch malawi african cichlid guaranteed $ 9 . 99
3 upside - down synodontis 1 - 1 . 5inch aquarium catfish $ 19 . 99
2 synodontis petricola 3
( 1 m , 1 f ) aquarium catfish $ 44 . 99
6 upside - down synodontis 1 - 1 . 5inch aquarium catfish $ 39 . 99
6 synodontis eupterus 1 - 1 . 5 inch aquarium catfish $ 39 . 99
( 1 ) 2 - 3
synodontis schoutedeni wild live freshwater tropical african catfish $ 30 . 00
( 1 ) 1 - 1 . 5
dwarf petricola tr synodontis lucipinnis live freshwater tropical $ 15 . 00
6 synodontis decorus 1 - 1 . 5 inch aquarium catfish $ 39 . 99
( 1 ) 3 - 5
synodontis pardalis wild rare live freshwater tropical african catfish $ 135 . 00
6 synodontis ocellifer 1 - 1 . 5 inch aquarium catfish $ 39 . 99
( 1 ) 2 - 3
scissortail syno wild synodontis soloni live freshwater tropical fish $ 35 . 00
7 synodontis petricola ' dwarf ' 1
- 1 . 5
aquarium fish $ 59 . 99
giant synodontis eupterus - 8 - 10 inch - live rare fish $ 99 . 99
5 x synodontis nigriventris - 2 - 2 . 5 inch - school of blotched upside down fish ! $ 39 . 99
synodontis eupterus - 1 - 1 . 5 inch - live rare fish $ 8 . 99
synodontis nigriventris - 2 - 2 . 5 inch - blotched upside down fish ! $ 9 . 99
synodontis eupterus - 4 - 5 inch - live rare fish $ 24 . 99
rare dabola bichir 2 . 5
- 3
! ! ! polypterus sp . dabola $ 40 . 00
( 3 pack ) synodontis ocellifer catfish 1 . 5
$ 18 . 00
x20 assorted catfish package - freshwater live fish * free shipping $ 159 . 99
x25 african cichlid assorted / x5 pleco assorted / x5 catfish assorted * package * $ 159 . 99
x25 african cichlid assorted / x10 catfish assorted - freshwater live - free shi $ 159 . 50
x20 assorted catfish 1
- 2
each + x10 assorted plants - freshwater package $ 159 . 50
x12 upside down cat fish 1
- 2
each - fresh water live fish - free shipping $ 76 . 99
x50 african cichlid assorted / x12 pleco assorted / x12 catfish assorted package * $ 238 . 99
x50 african cichlid assorted / x20 pleco assorted / x20 catfish assorted package * $ 278 . 99
x50 african cichlid assorted / x5 pleco assorted / x5 catfish assorted * package * $ 199 . 99
x25 african cichlid assorted - x8 figure eight puffer - x10 assorted catfish $ 179 . 50
compare prices with our new price comparison engine ! just type in a specific synodontis names below and we ' ll show you prices from some of the leading retailers on the internet .