the bonelli 's eagle ( aquila fasciata ) is a large bird of prey .

like all eagles , it belongs to the family accipitridae .

it breeds in southern europe , africa both north and south of the sahara desert and across the middle east and south asia to indonesia .

it is usually a resident breeder .

the bonelli 's eagle is found in hilly or mountainous habitats , with rocky walls or crags and open to wooded land , in arid to semi-moist climate , from sea level to 1500 m. recent dna research resulted in this species being moved , in 2014 , to the genus aquila from hieraaetus .

the common name of the bird commemorates the italian ornithologist and collector franco andrea bonelli .

bonelli ' s eagle

the golden eagle and bonelli’s eagle are two species that have become particularly vulnerable to this change .
was killed by a bonelli ' s eagle [ mebs & schmidt 2006 ] .
bourdakis , s . ( 2000 ) bonelli ' s eagle , the eagle of the mediterranean . the hellenic ornithologicalsociety magazine , athens , greece .
the bonelli ' s eagle is mostly sedentary and the juveniles birds disperse around the range .
parent bonelli ' s eagle feeding its chick , showing transformation of ruthless hunter into a gentle big bird .
guidelines for the conservation of bonelli’s eagle populations . february 2016 . ( pdf - 7 . 38 mb )
the bonelli’s eagle performs glides on flat wings . this eagle is rapid and agile when hunting or performing flight displays . its flight is powerful .
real j ( 1996 ) biases in diet study methods in the bonelli’s eagle . j wildlife manage 60 : 632–638
mañosa s , real j , codina j ( 1998 ) selection of settlement areas by juvenile bonelli’s eagle in catalonia . j raptor res 32 : 208–214
the bonelli’s eagle is a small to medium sized eagle that until recently was a summer migrant species which did not breed . however , that has all changed .
have become the primary items of the eagle ' s diet in many areas .
deià , the first bonelli’s eagle chick born in majorca in the last 40 years has flown the nest at 65 days old .
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the bonelli ' s eagle feeds on medium sized birds and mammals . it also takes reptiles , frogs , insects and rarely , carrion .
carrying out of the plan for the reintroduction of the bonelli’s eagle in majorca , creating a stable population of the species on the island .
monitoring of individuals of bonelli ' s eagle in aragon by satellite transmitters ( gps ) for the delimitation of its territories and dispersal areas .
modelling the risk of collision with power lines in bonelli’s eagle hieraaetus fasciatus and its conservation implications . ( pdf - 514 . 59 kb )
many bonelli ' s eagle die because of electrocution . about 50 % of all reported dead bonelli ' s eagles in spain died because of electrocution [ seo 2007 ] . in france about 47 % died because of electrocution [ lecacheur 2009 ]
two birds of prey in israel , the golden eagle and bonelli’s eagle , have become so endangered that ornithologists fear their potential extinction , the society for the protection of nature warned on wednesday .
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soutullo a , lópez - lópez p , urios v ( 2008 ) incorporating spatial structure and stochasticity in endangered bonelli’s eagle’s population models : implications for conservation and management . biol conserv 141 : 1013–1020
the bonelli ' s eagle inhabits forest edges , cultivated land with large trees on the fringe , hilly areas and open country with some tree cover .
bonelli ' s eagle ( aquila fasciata ) a male arriving to a feeding station and eating a rabbit . | the internet bird collection | hbw alive
birth in 2014 of the first bonelli’s eagle chick in majorca since its extinction . in 2015 for a second time the same couple has again bred successfully . in 2016 , 4 new eagle chicks were born
. some hunters also don ' t like them because they see the bonelli ' s eagle ( and other raptors ) as a threat to game animals like rabbits or the red - legged partridge . because of this , the bonelli ' s eagle ( and other raptors ) are often illegally shot or poisoned .
[ grin 2009 ] global raptor information network . 2009 . species account : bonelli ' s eagle aquila fasciata . downloaded from urltoken on 19 mar . 2009
balbontín j ( 2005 ) identifying suitable habitat for dispersal in bonelli’s eagle : an important issue in halting its decline in europe . biol conser 126 : 74–83
this new book will be the most up to date and most detailed book on the bonelli’s eagle . highly recommended to everyone interested in this amazing eagle . features contributions from over 130 authors from 30 countries .
if you would like a guide day tour of the serranía de ronda to see bonelli’s eagle , griffon vulture , and other bird species of the serranía , we recommend wildside holidays – grazalema . some locations of bonelli’s eagle may be difficult to reach , and for ecological reasons many locations are a closely guarded secret .
arroyo , b . and ferreiro , e . ( 1997 ) european union species action plan for bonelli’s eagle ( hieraaetus fasciatus ) . european commission , brussels .
a wedge - tailed eagle is used as the eagle in alaska that snatches sandra bullock ' s phone in the 2009 romantic comedy
the proposal
.
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[ bauer et al . 2005 ] . the african hawk eagle was sometimes considered to be just a subspecies of the bonelli ' s eagle but is now considered a separate species . both species were formerly placed in the genus
the bonelli ' s eagle is slightly smaller than a golden eagle . in flight , it is easy to distinguish because of the contrast between its dark wings and its white body with distinctive brown streaks . this eagle has a relatively long life expectancy , living up to 30 years in natural environments .
the bonelli ' s eagle is a powerful hunter that is capable of killing large birds like herons or storks ( although those birds are not the regular prey ) . in morocco a
) belongs to the family accipitridae . these bonelli ' s eagle species are distributed in africa , indian subcontinent , mediterranean region , the middle east , indochina , southeast china and indonesia .
ontiveros d , pleguezuelos jm , caro j ( 2005 ) prey density , prey detectability and food habits : the case of bonelli’s eagle and the conservation measures . biol conserv 123 : 19–25
its name seems to recall that of the norman bonello family involved in twelfth century intrigues at sicily ' s royal court , but in fact comes from that of franco andrea bonelli ( 1784 - 1830 ) , the northern italian naturalist who established one of piedmont ' s first zoos . though not a falcon , bonelli ' s eagle was used in falconry , a fact the medieval bonellos would have appreciated . the
aquila del bonelli
( scientifically hieraaetus fasciatus ) is a graceful bird of prey . to germans , he ' s the
hawking eagle
( habichtsadler ) .
palma l , beja p , pais m , cancela da fonseca l ( 2006 ) why do raptors take domestic prey ? the case of bonelli’s eagle and pigeons . j appl ecol 43 : 1075–1086
balbontín , j . ( 2005 ) identifying suitable habitat for dispersal in bonelli’s eagle : an important issue in halting its decline in europe . biological conservation , 126 ( 1 ) : 74 - 83 .
[ birdlife international 2004 ] birdlife international . 2004 . birds in europe : population estimates , trends and conservation status . birdlife interntional . cambridge , uk . ( bonelli ' s eagle species account available at :
the breeding season varies depending on climate . in sicily , bonelli ' s eagle breeds in early spring . in most eyries , two eggs are hatched and one eaglet survives . soaring over hills and pastures , bonelli ' s eagle is the epitome of grace in flight . though rare anyplace in italy , this dignified bird still finds its home in sicily but also in sardinia and southern peninsular regions like calabria and basilicata .
balbontín j , penteriani v , ferrer m ( 2003 ) variations in the age of mates as an early signal of changes in population trends ? the case of bonelli’s eagle in andalusia . biol conserv 109 : 417–423
study of the real impact of food supplementation on the spatial and reproductive ecology of bonelli ' s eagle ( aquila fasciata ) in the natural park of the sierra de espadán located south of the province of castellón .
subspecies and range : the bonelli’s eagle has two subspecies . a . f . fasciata ( here described and displayed ) occurs in nw africa and iberian peninsula , e through mediterranean , sw asia and arabia to afghanistan , pakistan and india and through n indochina to s china .
the bonelli ' s eagle breeding season is from november to september in india . the nest is built with sticks and twigs on a remote cliff ledge or in a large tree . it lays 1 - 3 eggs .
it has been estimated that an annual total exceeding 15 , 000 birdwatchers visit the serranía and without doubt this eagle is a star attraction . so the bonelli’s eagle is important to the local economy ! any unwanted or unsustainable developments that adversely impact on the numbers of this threatened species of eagle i . e . los merinos golf , will by definition have a very real and negative affect on the area’s tourism , economy and people .
the petzl foundation also contributed to a travelling exhibition about the bonelli ' s eagle , produced by the regard du vivant association . this exhibition was presented at a number of rock climbing schools , clubs , conferences and festivals .
the bonelli’s eagle is sedentary and dispersive . the juveniles disperse as soon as they are independent . they usually move to agricultural areas where there are abundant food resources . they often travel hundreds of kilometres from their natal territory .
bonelli’s eagle tends to live in warm , mountainous regions , nesting on cliff edges and sometimes on trees ( 2 ) ( 4 ) . typically , vegetation in these areas is dominated by scrub , but bonelli’s eagle also inhabits more densely covered areas and almost completely bare areas . it tends to live at low and medium altitudes , but has also been found to live as high as 2 , 000 metres above sea level in africa ( 2 ) .
in order to provide more eagle chicks for their reintroduction , the wildlife breeding center ' la granja ' has 18 eagle breeding pairs for captive breeding .
gil - sánchez jm , moleón m , otero m , bautista j ( 2004 ) a nine - year study of successful breeding in a bonelli’s eagle population in southeast spain : a basis for conservation . biol conserv 118 : 685–694
if you were to search for an emblematic species which would define the importance of the serranía de ronda and the sierra de grazalema for wildlife , then the bonelli’s eagle ( hieraaetus fasciatus ) would be the definitive and unequivocal choice .
since 2011 , 41 bonelli’s eagles have been identified , fitted with a radio - tracking device and released . population of the species consists of 27 individuals .
cabezas s , moreno s ( 2007 ) an experimental study of translocation success and habitat improvement in wild rabbits . anim conserv 10 : 340–348
aves de españa bonelli ' s eagle is one of the 567 treated in this field guide . recommended by seo / birdlife , the guide contains updated information on all bird species present in spanish territories . in spanish . also available in english .
calls and songs : sounds by xeno - canto the bonelli’s eagle is fairly silent outside the breeding period . but during the flight displays , it gives a repeated , shrill and melodious “iuh” and a longer whistled “eeeoo” lower - pitched at the end .
ontiveros , d . and pleguezuelos , j . m . ( 2000 ) influence of prey densities in the distribution and breeding success of bonelli ' s eagle ( hieraaetus fasciatus ) : management implications . biological conservation , 93 ( 1 ) : 19 - 25 .
the bonelli ' s eagle has the preference of perching on electricity transmission towers ( 110 - 400 kv ) versus distribution towers ( ≤ 66kv ) . the percentage of perching time is 8 % of their daily time , for some individuals this reaches 34 % .
the bonelli’s eagle , dependent on the mediterranean region , is one of the most endangered birds of prey in europe . in france , it went through a long period of decline during which its numbers dropped from approximately 80 pairs in the 1960s to 23 in 2002 . for the past three years , the situation has reversed . the french population of bonelli’s eagles is currently on the rise , at the rate of one pair per year .
my good apprentice lyubomila , feeding and hooding bonelli ' s еagle for first time . the bird is untamed in this stage . music : trx - levitation ( ambient mix )
24 bonelli ' s eagles have been captured , marked and fitted with radio - tracking devices . data is currently being received from 15 eagles , located in 9 different territories .
the bonelli ' s eagle species have a very large range and are considered least vulnerable . however there is steady decline in the eagle populations . the decline in the prey population , human activities in the habitat , habitat degradation , use of pesticides , persecution and collisions with power lines are the major threats to the survival of these species of eagles .
the navigator company is now one of portugal’s leading players on the world stage .
the tag was tested on a domestic vulture and the results were encouraging . in autumn 2012 , after a further development and test phase , bonelli ' s eagles have been tagged .
caro j , ontiveros d , pizarro m , pleguezuelos jm ( 2010 ) habitat features of settlement areas used by floaters of bonelli’s and golden eagles . bird conserv int . doi :
these population declines are the result of several threats ( 6 ) ( 7 ) , the most serious ones in europe being hunting , electrocution or collision with power lines , and the loss or disturbance of suitable habitat ( 7 ) ( 8 ) . bonelli’s eagle is also being affected by a shortage of food ; diseases such as myxomatosis have considerably reduced the number of rabbits in the region , one of the eagle’s favourite prey ( 8 ) .
the bonelli’s eagle is territorial and defends its area , and especially the nest and its surroundings during the breeding and nesting periods . direct physical encounters are rare . the owner uses a warning system to inform neighbours and intruders of the occupancy of the territory , usually a peculiar flight .
identification , mapping and conservation of habitats and species of fauna and flora with conservation status as part of the rede natura 2000 and the national protected areas network projects , exemplified by the protection of the bonelli ' s eagle , a bird of prey classified as under threat in portugal .
a study by the university of barcelona requested by the cofib ( consortium for the recovery of fauna on the balearic islands ) has concluded that the population of the bonelli ' s eagle on the island of majorca is currently sustainable , and that its population is experiencing a slight increase .
haykin s ( 1999 ) neural networks : a comprehensive foundation . macmillan , new york
in europe , the bonelli ' s eagle is a bird of the mediterranean landscape . it prefers dry and open or half open habitat in mountainous areas . outside the breeding season it can also be found in lowlands and wetlands where it can hunt waterfowl [ mebs & schmidt 2006 ] .
balbontín , j . , penteriani , v . and ferrer , m . ( 2002 ) variations in the age of mates as an early warning signal of changes in population trends ? the case of bonelli ' s eagle in andalusia . biological conservation , 109 ( 3 ) : 417 - 423 .
publicación sobre el águila de bonelli ( only available in spanish ) . ( pdf - 768 . 93 kb )
thirgood s , redpath s ( 2004 ) hen harriers and red grouse : the ecology of a conflict . in : woodroffe r , thirgood s , rabinowitz a ( eds ) people and wildlife : conflict or co - existence ? cambridge university press , cambridge , pp 192–208
many of the birds in the country’s north already were eliminated by the 1950s and 1960s .
the bonelli ' s eagle , a large bird of prey typically found in mediterranean regions , has become increasingly rare over the twentieth century . today , this species is of particular concern to nature preservation associations and is the subject of a national action plan that aims to eliminate the causes of its decline .
bonelli’s eagle , or spizaetos or skarovitsila as it may be called in crete , is a medium - sized eagle – some 65 - 72 cm in body length , with a wingspan of 150 - 180 cm . though relatively small , it is particularly aggressive , and remarkable for its speed in flight . adults are black above with a white back , from below predominately light - coloured with flecks all over .
bonelli’s eagle is an agile , mostly silent hunter ; its distinctive klu - klu - klu - klee call is heard mainly when it is near the nest or when mating . the plumage on the upperparts is dark brown , while the white underbelly is patterned with dark bands , and the underside of the tail is white with a single broad black band at the end . young bonelli’s eagles lack the black band on the tail and the plumage is much less striking , with a beige underbelly and wing coverts ( 3 ) .
bonelli’s eagle is an agile hunter that emerges from cover to snatch its prey from the ground ( 5 ) . it tends to hunt for small to medium - sized mammals , such as hares and birds up to the size of a guinea fowl ( 2 ) ( 5 ) , but studies have shown that bonelli’s eagle takes a wide variety of prey , depending on its habitat and the species available ( 5 ) . for example , in the iberian peninsula and some areas of southern france , the european wild rabbit , the red - legged partridge and pigeon are the main constituents of this species’ diet ( 4 ) ( 5 ) .
ashpole , j , butchart , s . , ekstrom , j . , harding , m .
bonelli’s eagle ( aquila fasciata ) is a large bird of prey belonging to the family accipitridae . this is a small - to medium - sized eagle at 55–65 cm ( 22–26 in ) in length . the upperparts are dark brown , and the underside is white with dark streaks . the wings are relatively short and rounded . the long tail is grey on top and white below and has a single broad black terminal band . the feet and eyes are yellow . immature birds have deep buff underparts and underwing coverts and have fine barring on the tail without the terminal band . the bonelli’s eagle is usually silent except in display and near the nest . its fluted klu - kluklu - kluee call is less shrill than that of its near relatives .
behaviour in the wild : the bonelli’s eagle feeds on medium - sized birds and mammals such as rabbits and red - legged partridges . but numerous other birds like pigeons , crows , ducks , gulls and other species as large as herons are also taken . lizards , rodents and squirrels can be taken too . this eagle is a powerful hunter , and larger preys such as storks , herons , buzzards and foxes are killed .
illegal shooting most be stopped through more education , better control and punishment of those who shot an eagle .
capture and fitting with radio equipment with gps / argos transmitters of three breeding golden eagles : a female eagle named haizea ( montes del cierzo territory ) , a male eagle named hegoi ( ribera de navarra territory ) reported as having died in 2017 and a third male eagle named keiles from the ribera de navarra territory .
05 / 06 / 18 golden eagle vs ravens @ mile 4 . 1 yakima cyn wa 5596 - 111
this phase is a straight continuation of the actions undertaken with the contribution of the foundation , and appears as a logical follow - up of the actions already adopted for the recovery of the european population of bonelli’s eagles .
most of preys are caught on the ground , but flying birds can be caught thanks to the agile flight . birds are usually taken at take - off , but the bonelli’s eagle also pursues its preys over long distance among trees and bushes . breeding colonies of gulls and herons are raided by pairs hunting together . this eagle also hunts from cover , perched in tree foliage before to perform a quick attack , or by soaring and stooping .
whilst the global population of bonelli’s eagle covers an extremely large range and has not declined enough for it to warrant a threatened status ( 1 ) , in certain areas , declines in bonelli’s eagle populations have been worrying . in europe , this species is considered endangered ( 8 ) ; the nesting population in spain declined by 25 percent during the period 1980 to 1990 ( 5 ) , and there is now estimated to be only between 938 and 1039 breeding pairs remaining in europe ( 3 ) . an increase in adult mortality rate seems to be the main cause of population decline in southern spain , which is one of the last strongholds in europe ( 3 ) .
protection / threats / status : the bonelli’s eagle is one of the most endangered eagles in europe , with several declines due to accidents with powerlines and direct persecution , degradation and changes in the habitat , reduction of preys and disturbances . however , the species is not currently threatened , thanks to active conservation measures involving fairly stable populations .
in 2017 , the population of this species in the doñana natural park increased thanks to the incorporation of a new breeding pair , hence doñana again has 10 breeding pairs , mirroring pre - 2015 levels . for the first time , since records regarding population of the bonelli’s eagle began in 1982 , the population at large is producing offspring .
debus , s . j . s . ( 1994 ) . wedge - tailed eagle ( aquila audax ) . pp . 198 in : del hoyo , elliott & sargatal . eds . ( 1994 ) . handbook of the birds of the world , vol . 2 . isbn 84 - 87334 - 15 - 6
, the eagle was once subject to a bounty in tasmania , as it was believed to prey on livestock .
this eagle ' s great length and wingspan place it among the largest eagles in the world but its wings , at more than 65 cm ( 26 in ) each , and tail , at 45 cm ( 18 in ) , are both unusually elongated for its body weight and 8 - 9 other eagle species regularly outweigh it .
in europe , where bonelli’s eagle is considered endangered , an action plan was created with the short term aim of maintaining the existing populations in europe , and the longer term aim of increasing the population size and encouraging the bird to recolonise parts of its former range ( 8 ) . to achieve these aims , numerous measures were proposed including the enforcement of existing hunting regulations , modification of those powerlines that have caused eagle deaths , and the protection of areas that hold important breeding sites ( 8 ) . hopefully such measures will prevent this magnificent eagle from disappearing from europe altogether .
the bonelli ' s eagle banding program , validated by the natural history museum in 1990 , has been running for almost 20 years . every year , almost all the young birds born in france are banded . along with monitoring the reproductivity of each pair , banding is the principal tool for demographic studies which will only be useful in the long term .
hosmer dw , lemeshow s ( 2000 ) applied logistic regression analysis , 2nd edn . wiley , new york
around 10 % of the forests under the company ' s management have been classified as conservation interest areas .
introduction : recent genetic research has led to the new classification of this species . formerly hieraaetus fasciatus , the bonelli’s eagle is today aquila fasciata . the genus aquila includes large , dark eagles , but due to recent dna research , this species belongs now to the genus aquila which contains the true species of “booted” eagles with feathered tarsi , three toes pointing forwards and a hind toe armed with the longest claw . this change from hieraaetus to aquila involves new scientific name , from “fasciatus” to “fasciata” . this eagle has been discovered by franco andrea bonelli ( 1784 - 1830 ) , an italian ornithologist , entomologist and collector .
the released birds will be monitored using tags and special emitters . following the results of a study on the viability of the french population of bonelli’s eagles , a program to increase its population and reintroduce it in france has not yet been scheduled .
the bonelli ' s eagle breeds rather early . egg laying is normally between the beginning of february and the middle of march [ mebs & schmidt 2006 ] . normally 2 eggs are laid , sometimes 1 or 3 . the chicks hatch after 37 to 40 days and stay in the nest between 55 and 70 days [ grin 2009 , mebs & schmidt 2006 ] .
in france , like all birds of prey , the bonelli ' s eagle is a protected species . in the european union , it is mentioned in the birds directive for the conservation of wild birds . on an international level , the species is listed in the
endangered
category on the iucn red list because of the high risk of its extinction in nature .
a wedge - tailed eagle can be seen attacking theodore seville at the zoo in alvin and the chipmunks : the squeakquel .
aguila de bonelli continua solcant el cel de mallorca
( only available in spanish ) . ( pdf - 937 . 09 kb )
monitoring , conservation and recovery of the iberian imperial eagle ( aquila adalberti ) in the doñana national park and doñana natural park .
cramp s , simmons kel ( 1980 ) the birds of western paleartic , vol 2 . oxford university press , oxford
bonelli ' s eagle is generally brown , with a white or light tan speckled breast . mature adults are about 70 centimetres tall , with a wingspan of around 170 centimetres . in an admirable gesture of fidelity , eagles choose only one mate , and a pair builds a large nest annually even if a prior one exists in tact . the birds feed on mammals , rodents , reptiles and birds , in sicily favoring hares , rabbits , squirrels , partridges gulls and lizards . they sometimes catch winged prey in flight . contrary to popular belief , bonelli ' s eagle does not usually attack newborn lambs , though chickens are not exempt from attack . in sicily , poisons used to kill wolves , foxes and bats have killed many birds of prey . foxes , like eagles , are now protected legally .
determine the use made of electricity towers by bonelli ' s eagle ( hieraaetus fasciatus ) , according to their design and availability in the territories . to obtain an in - depth knowledge of the factors that have an impact on their use of the towers and those that determine the spans of lines crossed by the eagles in their flights , analyzing the impact of lines on the mortality rate of territorial individuals .
cramp s , simmons kl ( 1980 ) the birds of the western paleartic , vol ii . oxford university press , oxford
unlike many other eagle species , the bonelli’s are capable of flying - down their prey and over long distances . most large raptors avoid long distance pursuit in order to save energy , but these eagles , once giving chase , will continue to fly - down prey over considerable distances . hare , rabbit , partridge and other large birds form the largest part of their diet , although some reptiles are also taken .
the naturalists , who wanted all rock climbing site projects to be subject to an upstream review found themselves up against climbers who usually preferred to take over new sites more or less discreetly . a vicious circle of conflict developed between ornithologists , seen as banning fanatics and climbers , held to be responsible for the decline of one of the symbolic elements of mediterranean biodiversity : the reproduction sites of the bonelli ' s eagle .
the bonelli ' s eagle is found along the mediterranean coast , from the iberian peninsula to iran , as well as on the indian sub - continent and in southern china and indonesia . today , its total population is estimated at fewer than 40 , 000 pairs . approximately 1 , 000 pairs live in europe , with spain remaining something of a stronghold for the species , counting almost 700 pairs . in france , there were just 29 reproducing pairs in 2009 , which is very few and makes it the country ' s most threatened species .
is distributed in africa , mediterranean region , middle east , arabia , afghanistan , indian subcontinent , north indochina and southeast china . the eagle subspecies
pearce j , ferrier s ( 2000b ) evaluating the predictive performance of habitat models development using logistic regression . ecol model 133 : 225–245
already , they explained , 10 eagle species have dwindled to extinction in israel . the process was originally faster in israel’s mediterranean region than in its desert area , the researchers said . there , birds were susceptible to injuries from power line electrocutions , poisonings and destructions of natural habitats .
the bonelli ' s eagle is a medium sized bird of prey , measuring 65 to 70 cm in length and weighing 1 , 600 to 2 , 400 grams . the wingspan is 150 to 170 cm . the upper parts are dark brown , whereas the underside is white with dark streaks . the eyes and feet of the eagle are yellow . the wings are relatively short and rounded . the tail is long and is grey on the upper side and white below . there is a broad terminal black band on the tail . the call is a shrill ' klu - kluklu - kluee ' sound .
the iucn ( international union for conservation of nature ) has categorized and evaluated these eagle species and has listed them as of
least concern
.
steenhof k , kochert mn , mcdonald tl ( 1997 ) interactive effects of prey and weather on golden eagle reproduction . j anim ecol 66 : 350–362
keating ka , cherry s ( 2004 ) use and interpretation of logistic regression in habitat - selection studies . j wild manag 68 : 774–789
with a wingspan of up to 1 . 8 meters the bonelli is a medium sized eagle and although it is known to sometimes nest in trees , in the serranía its preference is for rocky crags and faces . the pairs form lifelong and all year round partnerships staying in or close to their breeding territories throughout the year .
may be beneficial to the wedge - tailed eagles in tasmania , as it could reduce competition for roadkill and devil predation on wedge - tailed eagle young .
parks and wildlife service northern territory ( australia ) use the wedge - tailed eagle , superimposed over a map of the northern territory , as their emblem .
habitat : the bonelli’s eagle frequents mainly mountainous areas with crags and cliffs for nesting . this species hunts in bushy and shrubby areas , maquis or garrigue , and barren slopes . it can also be found in flat open areas such as pastures and cultivated fields . outside the breeding season , it frequents wetlands . this species occurs mainly at low or medium elevations , but according to the range , it is visible up to 2000 metres and more in nw africa and asia .
pearce j , ferrier s ( 2000a ) an evaluation of alternative algorithms for fitting species distribution models using logistic regression . ecol model 128 : 127–147
it ' s @ solitarybeeweek - a week of action and education , raising awareness about solitary bees . if you ' d like to lea… urltoken
[ larrey , roger & morvan 2007 ] larrey , frédéric & roger , thomas & , morvan , rozen . 2007 . aigle de bonelli - méditerranéen méconnu . regard du vivant .
valkama j , korpimäki e , arroyo b , beja p , bretagnolle v , bro e , kenward r , mañosa s , redpath sm , thirgood s , viñuela j ( 2005 ) birds of prey as limiting factors of gamebird populations in europe : a review . biol rev 80 : 171–203
team wild , an elite squadron of science superheroes , needs your help ! your mission : protect and conserve the planet’s species and habitats from destruction .
rivas - martínez s ( 1987 ) memoria del mapa de series de vegetación de españa . instituto nacional para la conservación de la naturaleza icona , madrid
the navigator company ' s human resources and social assets policy is based on a set of values which inform its operations and investment in human capital .
5 breeding pairs have settled in and established their territory , representing a 30 - 50 % increase in the breeding population of the golden eagle in galicia compared to 2008 .
reproduction of this species : the breeding season takes place between november and february throughout much of the indian subcontinent , and february / april in the mediterranean regions . the bonelli’s eagle nests on cliff ledges , rarely in trees . the stick nest is bulky and may reach two metres wide and one metre height . it is lined with green leaves . like numerous raptors , the pair has several nests , often close to each other and on the same cliff face . they use them alternately . after consecutive years , they become huge .
margalida a , mañosa s , bertran j , garcía d ( 2007 ) biases in studying the diet of the bearded vulture . j wildlife manage 71 : 1621–1625
the navigator company’s communication policy seeks to cultivate a close relationship with customers , to provide a permanent response to market needs and to build loyalty with fundamental stakeholders .
electrocution : its huge wingspan means that when an eagle lands on the metal structure of a medium voltage electricity pylon , its wings can touch the cables , resulting in electrocution .
since 2013 , a total of 521 eagle chicks have been reintroduced in areas that have adequate habitat and that have the authorization and support of owners , local entities and associations .
manel s , williams hc , ormerod sj ( 2001 ) evaluating presence - absence models in ecology : the need to account for prevalence . j appl ecol 38 : 921–931
although many studies have investigated the feeding habits of palaearctic raptors , few have analysed non - breeding populations during dispersal . bonelli’s eagle ( aquila fasciata ) , a threatened species in western europe , has a relatively long and critical dispersal period . we studied feeding habits , prey selection , and the influence of prey density on floater abundance in this species during its dispersal period in southern spain . differences were found between the diet of floaters and that of the closest breeding populations . diet diversity was rather low for floaters , with european wild rabbits ( oryctolagus cuniculus ) being the main prey and the only prey positively selected . moreover , the number of floater bonelli’s eagles observed in the dispersal areas was positively associated with rabbit abundance . other prey included red - legged partridges ( alectoris rufa ) and pigeons ( columba sp . ) . we propose measures to match suitable prey availability for floater eagles in settlement areas and the use of such areas as human hunting fields .
awareness of the issue and measurement of the decline of the bonelli ' s eagle population date back to the early 80s . at the time , almost all birds of prey were considered vulnerable : eagles , vultures , peregrine falcons , eurasian eagle owls , etc . these concerns coincided with a huge increase in interest for outdoor leisure pursuits , particularly rock climbing . in languedoc - roussillon , all the sites occupied at the end of the 90s are now subject to protective measures ( biotope protection orders ) , which prohibit the equipping of rock faces or set limits for extending such equipment wherever extension is a possibility . this was also a period of conflict between naturalists and climbers , varying in its openness and virulence , centered on the issue of developing sites for rock climbing .
manel s , dias j , buckton st , ormenrod sj ( 1999 ) alternative methods for predicting species distribution : an illustration with himalayan river birds . j appl ecol 36 : 734–747
control and monitoring of young eagles released through the use of satellite - gps , with the aim of delimiting their territories , causes of mortality , identifying black spots and studying trends regarding their return to natural areas . this action is part of the programme for strengthening the population of the golden eagle in the baixa limia - serra do xurés natural park and the recovery plan for the golden eagle in galicia .
laake jl , auckland st , anderson dr , burnman kp ( 1993 ) distance user’s guide , version 2 . 0 . colorado cooperative fish and wildlife research unit , colorado state university , fort collins
while in the 1980s , about 40 pairs of golden eagles and 20 pairs of bonelli’s eagles were nesting in the south , today fewer than 10 pairs of each species remains , hatzofe and mayrose warned . the birds sustained a variety of damages to their nesting environments , caused by interference from travelers , helicopter rescues of hikers and nest invasions by other birds . in addition , they have faced electrocution , hunters and poisoning episodes , the researchers explained .
a total of 12 eagle chicks have been released since 2011 using the hacking method ( placing of young birds – ‘chicks’ - in artificial nests for breeding in the wild until they are able to fly and feed independently ) .
arroyo b , redpath s , viñuela j ( 2004 ) conflicts in raptor conservation : an overview . in : chancellor rd , meyburg bu ( eds ) raptors worldwide . wwgbp / mme , budapest , pp 307–315
terms of use - the displayed portlet may be used as a link from your website to arkive ' s online content for private , scientific , conservation or educational purposes only . it may not be used within apps .
suárez - seoane s , osborne pe , alonso jc ( 2002 ) large - scale habitat selection by agricultural steppe birds in spain : identifying species - habitat responses using generalized additive models . j appl ecol 39 : 755–771
in view of the scale and scattered location of the company ' s forestry holdings , the approach to identifying these values was originally developed in a project with the wwf mediterranean programme , with the help of conservation experts .
the female wedge - tailed eagle weighs between 3 and 5 . 77 kg ( 6 . 6 and 12 . 7 lb ) , while the smaller males weigh 2 to 4 kg ( 4 . 4 to 8 . 8 lb ) .
the forest is one of the most important pillars for the sustainability of the navigator company’s business , acting at all times in keeping with a set of principles and rules on responsible management , which conciliate environmental , social and business concerns .
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 .
authenticated ( 20 / 08 / 10 ) by dr vincenzo penteriani , estación biológica de doñana , c . s . i . c . , department of conservation biology , urltoken and dr javier balbontin , professor of zoology , university of seville , urltoken
the largest wingspan ever verified for an eagle was for this species . a female killed in tasmania in 1931 had a wingspan of 2 . 84 m ( 9 . 3 ft ) , another female measured barely smaller at 2 . 79 m ( 9 . 1 ft ) .
granada wild c / o itn source 200 gray ' s inn road london wc1x 8xz united kingdom tel : + 44 ( 0 ) 20 7430 4480 fax : + 44 ( 0 ) 20 7430 4453 uksales @ urltoken http : / / www . urltoken
as a migrant , this eagle can now be seen in various locations , one of the best being the northern tramuntana mountains . it has even been seen over pollensa old town . the best sites however , for birding walks , are the trail at mortitx and the cuber reservoir .
brooker , m . g . ; ridpath , m . g . ( 1980 ) .
the diet of the wedge - tailed eagle , aquila audax , in western australia
. australian wildlife research 7 ( 3 ) : 433–452 . doi : 10 . 1071 / wr9800433 .
like other raptors , mating pairs build between one and six nests next to each other , utilising different nests in different years ( 5 ) ( 6 ) . several hypotheses have been put forward to explain why raptors would invest time and energy in building multiple nests , one of which is that it allows the breeding pair the opportunity to quickly switch nests if one nest becomes disturbed or taken over by another species ( 5 ) . each year the pair works on the nests and over time they become larger and larger , eventually measuring up to an incredible 1 . 8 metres in height and 2 metres in diameter ( 7 ) . the female will typically lay two eggs between january and march ( 2 ) ( 6 ) . bonelli’s eagle reaches maturity at about 3 . 5 years of age and ( 6 ) , being a long - lived bird , is known to survive for up to 20 years in captivity ( 3 ) .
this eagle typically favors mediterranean environments . in france , it mainly nests on low altitude cliffs , on ledges or in caves . its hunting ground consists of open lands , where prey is plentiful . adults remain attached to their territory , often for life and pairs generally stay in their chosen place of reproduction .
to be able to monitor the movements of birds of prey and to get a better grasp of their vital domain , a new technology was developed in 2011 . a telemetric prototype , weighing less than 60g , was developed by engineers at the cea ' s leti lab in grenoble .
real j , mañosa s , codina j ( 1996 ) estatus , demografía y conservación del águila perdicera ( hieraaetus fasciatus ) en el mediterráneo . in : muntaner j , mayol j ( eds ) biología y conservación de las rapaces mediterráneas . monografía 4 seo , madrid , pp 55–62
once again the cretan mountains hold important habitats for the breeding and maintenance of the golden eagle . they are under intense pressure from humans : the one thing keeping the species in relatively good shape is the relative abundance of their prey ( mainly partridges ) . the supply of immature youngsters makes up for adult losses .
the current status of this magnificent and spectacular eagle is officially listed as being under danger of extinction . so it is essential we afford them the highest possible protection . although some of their nesting sites are close to populated areas , they remain intolerant of human disturbance , so close observation should be avoided at all times .
on episode 4 of season 2 of qi , jeremy clarkson describes wedge - tailed eagles as gorging on roadkill at night , then occasionally being hit by trucks themselves , in gory detail . the empire of atlantium , a micronation based in new south wales , australia , features the wedge - tailed eagle on its seal .
a conservation project called ‘life bonelli’s’ was formed in 2013 with the aim of strengthening the populations in madrid alava and navarre . it also involved a reintroduction scheme of this species into the tramuntana mountains in mallorca where it was extinct . 2015 saw its first breeding success with a chick raised . this project continues with a great deal of effort from the locals and several birds from mainland spain being released each year after a period of acclimatisation to their new surroundings . the project consists of the following the release into the wild of chicks hatched from captive breeding and chicks rescued from the wild . the restoration of quality habitat suitable for the bird . the adaption of overhead power lines to reduce the risk of fatalities . the raising of awareness amongst sectors which can help and the general public .
if you ' re only in ronda for one day be sure to read our michelle obama tour of ronda , but if you ' re likely to be here for two days or more , then our most popular walks include the walk to the virgen de la cabeza , or mr henderson ' s railway walk . and , of course the spectacular natural park of the sierra de grazalema
welcome to one of spain ' s most visited cities ( and for good reason . ) our little city is very compact and in fact from arriving in ronda , to seeing the real maestranza bullring , the puente nuevo and el tajo gorge , the many beautiful churches , our museums , or the wonderful coffee shops and tapas bars , we have it all within a short 30 minute walk .
power poles must be made safe all across it ' s breeding range and also across the dipersal areas of the juvenile birds . juveniles leaving their natal area can appear almost everywhere in the species ' range including outside of suitable habitat ( even if only for a shorter time while moving to better habitat ) . that means that the dispersing birds can be electrocuted almost everywhere where they fly . making power poles save would also help many other raptor species and other large birds like storks .
the wedge - tailed eagle ( aquila audax ) , sometimes known as the eaglehawk ( a slight misnomer , as it is among the largest raptors ) in its native range , is the largest bird of prey in australia , but it is also found in southern new guinea . it has long , fairly broad wings , fully feathered legs , and an unmistakable wedge - shaped tail . because of both its tail and its size — it is one of the largest birds of prey in the world — it can be identified at a glance as a
wedgie
even by the non - expert .
as the breeding season approaches , a pair of wedge - tailed eagles will perch close to each other and preen one other . they also perform dramatic aerobatic display flights together over their territory . sometimes the male dives down at breakneck speed towards his partner . as he pulls out of his dive and rises just above her on outstretched wings , she either ignores him or turns over to fly upside down , stretching out her talons . the pair may then perform a loop - the - loop . the wedge - tailed eagle usually nests in the fork of a tree between one and thirty meters above the ground , but if there are no suitable sites , it will nest on a cliff edge .
afghanistan ; albania ; algeria ; bhutan ; bosnia and herzegovina ; bulgaria ; china ; croatia ; cyprus ; djibouti ; egypt ; france ; georgia ; gibraltar ; greece ; hong kong ; india ; indonesia ; iran , islamic republic of ; iraq ; israel ; italy ; jordan ; kuwait ; lao people ' s democratic republic ; lebanon ; libya ; macedonia , the former yugoslav republic of ; mauritania ; montenegro ; morocco ; myanmar ; nepal ; oman ; pakistan ; palestinian territory , occupied ; portugal ; saudi arabia ; serbia ; spain ( canary is . - vagrant ) ; syrian arab republic ; tajikistan ; thailand ; timor - leste ; tunisia ; turkey ; turkmenistan ; united arab emirates ; uzbekistan ; viet nam ; yemen
this impressive bird of prey spends much of the day perching in trees or on rocks or similar exposed lookout sites such as cliffs from which it has a good view of its surroundings . now and then , it takes off from its perch to fly low over its territory . during the intense heat of the middle part of the day , it often soars high in the air , circling up on the thermal air currents that drift up from the baking ground below . each pair occupies a home range , which may extend as little as 9 square kilometres to more than 100 square kilometres . within this home range lies a breeding territory around the nest . the eagle patrols the boundary of this home range and advertises its ownership with high - altitude soaring and gliding flights . it may defend its territory by diving on intruders . adults are avian apex predators and have no natural predators but must defend their eggs and nestlings against nest predators such as corvids .


synodontis robbianus , known as the russet synodontis , is a species of upside-down catfish that is native to nigeria where it is found in the cross and lower niger rivers .

it was first described by john alexander smith in 1875 , from specimens collected in the calabar river , nigeria .

the species name robbianus is named after rev. alexander robb , a scottish missionary , who collected the original species samples .

synodontis robbianus

fuente : wikipedia . paginas : 26 . capitulos : synodontis njassae , synodontis multipunctata , synodontis nigriventris , synodontis eupterus , synodontis nigromaculata , synodontis membranaceus , synodontis resupinatus , synodontis nebulosus , synodontis woosnami , synodontis nigrita , synodontis dorsomaculatus , synodontis leopardina , synodontis flavitaeniatus , synodontis petricola , synodontis filamentosa , synodontis clarias , synodontis afrofischeri , synodontis macrops , synodontis macrostigma , synodontis obesus , synodontis angelica , synodontis khartoumensis , synodontis ruandae , synodontis thamalakanensis , synodontis violacea , synodontis vanderwaali , synodontis fuelleborni , synodontis rufigiensis , synodontis zambezensis , synodontis victoriae , synodontis multimaculatus , synodontis ocellifer , synodontis camelopardalis , synodontis waterloti , synodontis schall , synodontis ricardoae , synodontis rukwaensis , synodontis bastiani , synodontis schoutedeni , synodontis steindachneri , synodontis ornatipinnis , synodontis annectens , synodontis longirostris , synodontis matthesi , synodontis macrophthalmus , synodontis batesii , synodontis manni , synodontis albolineata , synodontis longispinis , synodontis tanganyicae , synodontis acanthomias , synodontis acanthoperca , synodontis macrostoma , synodontis ansorgii , synodontis dhonti , synodontis punctifer , synodontis pardalis , synodontis robbianus , synodontis polystigma , synodontis centralis , synodontis polli , synodontis arnoulti , synodontis robertsi , synodontis gobroni , synodontis greshoffi , synodontis velifer , synodontis brichardi , synodontis unicolor , synodontis lufirae , synodontis pleurops , synodontis budgetti , synodontis ouemeensis , synodontis nummifer , synodontis tessmanni , synodontis pulcher , synodontis woleuensis , synodontis katangae , synodontis koensis , synodontis iturii , synodontis alberti , synodontis depauwi , synodontis dekimpei , synodontis polyodon , synodontis soloni , synodontis laessoei , synodontis thysi , synodontis kogonensis , synodontis cou . . .
i have a very nervous synodontis robbianus in with my predators lol , this may sound silly to you but . . . . . . . . . . .
notice of new fishes from west africa . i . ophiocephalus obscurus , günther . ii . synodontis robbianus nov . spec . mihi . proceedings of the royal physical society of edinburgh , 8
lateral view of synodontis ornatipinnis , illustrating the striking patterns seen in some species of synodontis ; cu 91403 . ©
finley , lee . 1986 . synodontis polli gosse , the replacement name for synodontis eurystomus matthes . fama 6 / 86 .
synodontis robbianus smith 1875 , a
miscellaneous
squeaker or upside - down catfish . west africa ; lower niger and cross river in nigeria . to five inches in length . cond . s : ph 6 - 7 . 8 , dh 10 - 25 , temp . 21 - 24 c . one of many
assorted synodontis
sold in the aquarium trade . a prodigious
picker upper
given adequate food of its own , hiding places out of the light . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 9615 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = robbianus
allen , bob . 1995 . breeding synodontis multipunctatus . tfh 7 / 95 .
finley , lee . 1983 . synodontis njassae keilhack . fama 3 / 83 .
pinter , helmut . 1959 . breeding synodontis nigriventris . tfh 4 / 59 .
riegel , jerry . 2001 . spawning synodontis multipunctatus . fama 6 / 01 .
synodontis
may also squeak when they are taken out of the water .
finley , lee . 1982 . synodontis victoriae - boulenger . fama 7 / 82 .
synodontis : ancient name for an undetermined fish from the nile ( cuvier 1816 ) .
monitor - synodontis are food hogs and slow eaters may not get enough to eat .
finley , lee . 1984 . reproduction in synodontis multipunctatus boulenger . fama 6 / 84 .
acknowledgements : tobias musschoot for his permission to use extracts from his paper on synodontis schall .
s . but once the featherfin synodontis grows well past four inches their identity becomes clear .
how to cite this article : adeyemi s . olusegun , 2011 . length - weight , length - length relationship and condition factor of synodontis robbianus at idah area of river niger , kogi state , nigeria . pakistan journal of nutrition , 10 : 505 - 508 . doi : 10 . 3923 / pjn . 2011 . 505 . 508 url : urltoken
colditz , gabrielle . 1992 . the strange life of synodontis multipunctatus . tfh 2 / 92 .
finley , lee . 1982 . food and feeding of synodontis catfish . fama 3 / 82 .
howe , jeffrey c . 1992 . original descriptions : synodontis vanderwaali . fama 10 / 92 .
howe , jeffrey c . 1992 . original descriptions : synodontis macrostoma . fama 12 / 92 .
walker , braz . 1973 . synodontis notatus , an african noisemaker . tfh 8 / 73 .
: this fish has the longest barbels of all of the synodontis species . a diurnal fish .
finley , lee . 1981 . some synodontis species of nigeria . fama 10 , 11 / 81 .
sands , david d . 1979 . synodontis angelicus : a collectors item ? fama 8 / 79 .
taylor , ed . 1995 . the man who would be synodontis king . tfh 5 / 95 .
yes - they can be kept with other synodontis if the tank is large with many hiding places .
it is also thought that synodontis robbianus is a synonym of s . schall ( willoughby , n . g . , 1994 ) but more work has to be carried out in lake lake kainji on more specimens . my own thoughts are maybe not , as i have kept s . robbiana and i did not note any aggression what so ever with this species , but we will find out in due course .
finley , lee . 1996 . synodontis . to aquarists , it means african catfish . afm 8 / 96 .
finley , lee . 1997 . catfish corner : synodontis victoriae , an endangered species . tfh 11 / 97 .
morah , john . 1997 . ' multi catfish ' . adventures with synodontis multipunctatus . afm 10 / 97 .
boggs , sallie s . 2002 . breeding and raising synodontis shoutedeni in the home aquarium . fama 4 / 02 .
the behaviour of the featherfin is peaceful , even with the other synodontis , and he is a marvel to watch .
finley , lee . 1979 . some synodontis species of the zaire basin . pt . ii , fama 9 / 79 .
finley , lee . 1980 . some synodontis species of the zaire basin . pt . iii , fama 5 / 80 .
finley , lee . 1993 . an introduction to synodontis nigriventris , the upside - down catfish . tfh 7 / 93 .
finley , lee . 1984 . aquarium observations on apparent reproductive behavior in synodontis brichardi ( poll ) . fama 10 / 84 .
synodontis schoutedeni david 1936 , the schoutedeni synodontis . central africa ; congo . to six and a half inches in length . cond . s : ph 6 - 7 . 5 , dh 4 - 15 , temp . 22 - 26 c . commonly sold as miscellaneous synodontis , even as a / the
upside - down catfish
, mis - identified as s . nigriventris . see boggs ( 2002 ) for spawning accounts . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 9619 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = schoutedeni
justification : synodontis robbianus is only known from nigeria ; its eoo and aoo are estimated as less than 5 , 000 km² and 500 km² respectively , so we can say that the species meets the thresholds for endangered . however , there are no signs that ongoing habitat decline will affect this hardy airbreathing species and there are no data available on population fluctuation . however the species is restricted to only two locations . with a potential loss of habitat the species therefore qualifies for vulnerable d2 .
finley , lee . 1981 . some synodontis species of the zaire basin . pt . i , revised . fama 9 / 81 .
silurus schall , hemisynodontis schall , leiosynodontis maculosus , pimelodus schall , synodontis clarias , s . arabi , s . maculosus , s . smithii
featherfin synodontis have not been successfully bred in home aquariums , though they have been bred in fish farms with the help of added hormones .
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 .
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 ) : 1303 1331 ) .
synodontis nigromaculatus boulenger 1905 . central and southern africa . to fifteen inches in length in the wild . cond . s : ph 6 - 7 . 5 , dh to 20 , temp . 22 - 26 c . one of the many
assorted synodontis
sold in the aquarium trade . feeds on insects , snails and small fishes . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 8708 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = nigromaculatus
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 .
the featherfin synodontis is considered to be one of the ' upside - down ' catfish species . like their well - known relatives , the upside - down catfish
the featherfin can swim upside down at will . they are called squeakers because they produce a squeaking sound as a warning to both predators and competitors during spawning time . the squeaking is accomplished by rubbing the spines of its pectoral fins into grooves on its shoulders . other common names they are known by include featherfin catfish and featherfin synodontis . they are also referred to as the lace cat or synodontis lace catfish , though this name is more often applied to its very similar cousin the lace synodontis
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
synodontis angelicus schilthuis 1891 , the angelicus catfish / synodontis , angel squeaker . central africa ; the congo basin . to twenty inches long in the wild , rarely half that in captivity . cond . : ph 6 - 8 , dh 5 - 19 , temp . 24 - 28 c . variable black to brown background with with white to yellow prominent dots . a beauty , that can be aggressive when large . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 9536 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = angelicus
synodontis brichardi poll 1959 , . west africa ; lower congo . to six inches in length . cond . s : ph 6 - 8 , dh 5 - 19 , temp . 22 - 25 c . a favorite of the genus in the aquarium interest . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 9544 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = brichardi
day , j . j . , and m . wilkinson . 2006 . on the origin of the synodontis catfish species flock from lake tanganyika . biology letters 2 : 548552 .
synodontis decorus boulenger 1899 , the decorus to aquarists is the clown squeaker to science . from central africa ; congo basin . to over a foot in length . conds . : ph 6 - 8 , dh 4 - 25 , temp . 23 - 27 c . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 9554 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = decorus
bishai h . m . and y . b . abu gideiri . 1968 . studies on the biology of genus synodontis at khartoum . iii . reproduction . hydrobiologia 31 : 193202 .
sanyanga , r . a . 1998 . food composition and selectivity of synodontis zambezensis ( pisces : mochokidae ) in lake kariba , and the ecological implications . hydrobiologia 361 : 8999 .
synodontis multipunctatus boulenger 1898 , the many - spotted synodontis , cuckoo catfish . east central africa ; lake tanganyika . to eleven inches total length in the wild . cond . s dh 15 - 35 , temp . 21 - 25 c . found on muddy bottoms to depths of 100 meters . notable as the only fish to practice brood parasitism . lays eggs amongst cichlid nests , its young growing faster eating the cichlid fry . see riegel ( 2001 ) re spawning . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 9596 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = multipunctatus
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 .
synodontis ocellifer boulenger 1900 . west africa ; senegal to chad . to nearly two feet in length in the wild . similar to s . decorus , but without the latters flowing dorsal finnage or bar - marked caudal . more and more available as an import as well as a florida farm produced species . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 5470 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = ocellifer
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 .
featherfin synodontis ( eupterus ) is a relatively peaceful community fish , that cohabitates in my 90g tank with 5 bumblebee gobies , one gold nugget pleco , one zebra . . . ( more ) alexander
featherfin synodontis ( eupterus ) is a relatively peaceful community fish , that cohabitates in my 90g tank with 5 bumblebee gobies , one gold nugget pleco , one zebra pleco and one gold line pleco .
most medium or large community fish . although commonly available as such , not a good species for the small community tank . anything smaller than 3foot / 1 meter long , go for synodontis nigriventris instead .
squeaker catfishes ( pisces , mochokidae , synodontis ) are widely distributed throughout africa and inhabit a biogeographic range similar to that of the exceptionally diverse cichlid fishes , including the three east african great lakes and their surrounding rivers . since squeaker catfishes also prefer the same types of habitats as many of the cichlid species , we hypothesized that the east african synodontis species provide an excellent model group for comparative evolutionary and phylogeographic analyses .
synodontis nigriventris david 1936 ,
the
( blotched ) upside down catfish . central africa ; congo basin . cond . s : ph 6 - 8 , dh 5 - 12 , temp . 22 - 26 c . to nearly four inches total length . the most popular / common species of the family in the aquarium interest . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 9599 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = nigriventris
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 .
willoughby , n . g . , 1994 . the taxonomy of the genus synodontis ( pisces : siluroidea ) in lake kainji , nigeria . african journal of tropical hydrobiology and fisheries , 5 ( 25 ) : 25 - 30
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 .
synodontis eupterus boulenger 1901 , the featherfin squeaker . africa ; the white nile , chad , volta and niger basins . to nearly six inches in length . cond . s ph 6 . 2 - 7 . 5 , dh to 15 , temp . 22 - 26 c . like others of the family a ready feeder on most all foodstuffs . sometimes available as captive produced small individuals . urltoken summary . cfm ? id = 9559 & genusname = synodontis & speciesname = eupterus
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 .
was described by boulenger in 1901 . they inhabit much of central africa , including nigeria , chad , sudan , ghana , mali , niger , and cameroon . they are found in the famous white nile river system as well . other common names they are known by include featherfin catfish , featherfin synodontis , synodontis lace catfish , and lace cat . due to their wide distribution they are not considered threatened and are listed as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list of endangered species .
synodontis : from the greek syn , meaning together , and odontos , meaning tooth ; in reference to the closely - spaced lower jaw teeth . this specific epithet literally means beautiful ( eu - = beautiful , good ) wing ( pteron = wing ) .
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 .
abstract : the length - weight , length - length relationship and condition factor of synodontis robbianus in the lower niger river ( idah ) , nigeria was carried out . one hundred and fourteen ( 114 ) fish samples of total length ranging from 8 . 8 - 16 . 0 cm and weight between 4 . 3 g and 43 . 4 g collected between january and august , 2008 were analyzed . results showed allometric growth for the sampled fish with regression coefficient ( b - value ) of 2 . 9926 , 2 . 7620 and 2 . 8355 for males , females and combined sex respectively . the regression coefficient ( b - value ) for the length - length relationship was 0 . 9418 , 0 . 9602 and 0 . 9510 for males , females and combined sex while the condition factor of all the sampled population varied from 1 . 57 - 3 . 83 . the idah area of river niger in kogi state is a good environment for growth , reproduction and survival of the fish species .
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 .
nine genera and approximately 200 valid species are currently recognized . some fossilized pectoral spines have been attributed to synodontis , but none of them are described as new . phylogenetic relationships among the mochokid genera were investigated by vigliotta ( 2008 ) who found that chiloglanis is possibly a paraphyletic assemblage , that synodontis must include s . membranaceous and s . batensoda ( formerly placed in hemisynodontis and brachysynodontis respectively ) and that the reciprocal monophyly of atopochilus and euchilichthys are questionable at best ; all remaining genera are recovered as valid and monophyletic . the general relationships between mochokid genera are illustrated in the phylogeny below .
dating of the major cladogenetic events in synodontis with r8s . we ran three independent analyses in r8s [ 32 ] with different calibration points using the maximum estimated age for the lacustrine habitat in lakes malawi ( 1 my [ 49 ] ) and tanganyika ( 6 my [ 46–48 ] ) , as well as the minimum age of the east african clade of synodontis as suggested by the oldest known synodontis fossil in that region ( > 20 my [ 45 ] ) . in the first analysis , all three calibrations were applied ( 1 / 6 / 20 calibration ) ; in the second cycle , we used the lake malawi and the fossil calibration ( 1 / 20 calibration ) ; in the third round , we only used the fossil based calibration ( 20 calibration ) . the numbers indicate the average value ( in my ) obtained from a bootstrap approach with 30 replicates , the minimum and maximum values are depicted in round brackets ( in italics ) . square brackets indicate the time constraints used for the different r8s analyses and the range of the actual numbers used in the bootstrap replicates ( in round brackets ) . the estimates for the age of the entire genus synodontis should be interpreted with caution , as the values lie outside our range of calibration points
there is a possibility of slow - moving fishes being damaged by an over zealous feeding synodontis ( e . g . a male betta ) , or fishes small and slow enough to be swallowed to be sucked up by your mochokid cats , but by and large these fishes leave alone all but the smallest tankmates .
even more peculiar is the habit of some species of synodontis that are known to swim upside - down . this habit seems to be correlated with feeding while upside - down at the water’s surface ( bishai & abu gideiri , 1965b ) , but upside - down catfishes will rest and swim in the inverted position on a regular basis . chapman et al . ( 1994 ) showed that an upside - down posture near the surface also facilitates respiration in poorly oxygenated water . while the genus synodontis presents the most well - known species with their fascinating behaviors and natural histories , the family is actually much more interesting when taken as a whole .
: the high - fin synodontis has a deep , stocky body . it has three pairs of barbels on its mouth . the body is gray to brown in color and covered in small dark spots . the fins also have spots . the dorsal stands is elongated and grows longer with age , as does the tail .
recently , i added one synodontis angelicus after changes in the tank , that made it more structurally complex ( meaning adding more hiding spaces in the form of rocks and caves , but also mopani wood - specially treated , so it doesnt give the water a tea colour , but it maintains its nutritional characteristics . - )
the mochokids are a family of some181 species of african catfishes , distinguished from other siluriiforms by having ossified rays in their adipose fins and anal fins comprised of less than ten rays . synodontis and other genera have three pair of barbels , one maxillary and two mandibular , the lower pairs being branched , giving them a feathery appearance .
these synodontis are not picky about their aquarium conditions . little maintenance has to be done to keep them in good condition . regular siphoning of the gravel is recommended to remove waste and keep the tank in a clean state . the recommended water change is 10 - 15 % every other week to keep up with the bio - load . .
beyond information gleaned from captive breeding of certain species of synodontis , very little is known about reproduction in mochokids . the best studied mochokids in this regard are most likely nile river synodontis ( including s . membranacea and s . batensoda , previously placed in other genera ) . still , details are limited ; the studies indicate that spawning occurs from july to october , which coincides with the flooding season , and that pairs swim in unison during spawning bouts ( bishai & abu gideiri , 1968 ) . the most interesting and detailed information on mochokid reproduction relates to a species from lake tanganyika , synodontis multipunctatus , which is a brood parasite of mouth brooding cichlids such as simochromis and haplochromis ( sato , 1986 ; wisenden , 1999 ) . adults of this species spawn in the midst of spawning cichlids and the fertilized catfish eggs are taken into the mouth of a cichlid . the catfish eggs hatch first and will eat the host eggs before they leave the host mouth . most amazingly , this species has been able to parasitize mouth brooding cichlids from south america in captivity ( loiselle , 1998 ) .
as with all fishes , foods taken in the wild are not absolutely what one must offer as captive fare . some synodontis are known to consume a good quantity of snails ( e . g . s . multipunctatus ) , even fish scales ( s . schall of the nile ) , all do well on a mix of fresh and prepared foods in aquariums .
featherfin catfish prefer living near muddy or rocky bottoms of rivers in their natural habitat , preying upon insect larvae and even eating algae . they prefer moderately fast flowing rivers . like most catfish , they are primarily scavengers and will eat most available items that are edible . featherfin synodontis enjoy each other’s company in the wild and often live in small , fluctuating groups .
would it be ok to keep a featherfin squeaker in a 55 gallon tall tank with 1 yoyo loach ( i lost the rest to skinny disease ) , 1 banjo catfish , 3 johanni cichlids , 1 synodontis nigritis , and 1 upside down cat . could i get a featherfin squeaker , and two peacock eels as well ? ? ? thanks ! - ? ? ?
our analyses reveal the existence of six major lineages of synodontis in east africa that diversified about 20 mya from a central and / or west african ancestor . the six lineages show a clear geographic patterning . two lineages are endemic to lake tanganyika ( plus one non - endemic representative ) , and these are the only two synodontis lineages that diversified further into a small array of species . one of these species is the cuckoo catfish ( s . multipunctatus ) , a unique brood parasite of mouthbrooding haplochromine cichlids , which seems to have evolved in parallel with the radiation of its cichlid host lineage , the tropheini . we also detect an accelerated rate of molecular evolution in s . multipunctatus , which might be the consequence of co - evolutionary dynamics .
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 . ©
synodontis : from the greek syn , meaning together , and odontos , meaning tooth ; in reference to the closely - spaced lower jaw teeth . named after reverend alexander robb , a scottish missionary in old calabar [ = nigeria ] . it uses an older way to form a patronym , using the ending - us ( as opposed to - i ) to indicate the name honours that of a male person .
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 .
composite consensus tree of the phylogenetic analyses . the strictconsensus of the neighbor - joining tree , the most parsimonious trees , the optimal maximum likelihood topology ( see fig . 4 ) and the bayesian inference tree is shown . numbers above the branches are neighbor - joining and maximum parsimony bootstrap values , numbers below the branches represent maximum likelihood bootstraps and bayesian posterior probabilities . the grey box indicates the east african clade of synodontis .
the featherfin squeaker enjoys the company of its own genus , but like the majority of synodontis they have an intricate hierarchy system , mainly based on size . the most dominant featherfin will get the best hiding place . the ' species internal ' bullying is rarely life threatening but can cause substantial stress which may lead to illness . watch for any individual fish getting bullied too much . featherfins are often an excellent addition in african cichlid tanks .
synodontis are known as squeaker catfish because they produce a squeaking sound by rubbing the spines of the pectoral fins into grooves on the shoulders . they use this sound as a warning to both predators and competitors during spawning time . like their relatives the upside - down catfish , they can also swim upside down at will . for idedntification , their distinctive characteristics are the long , flowing fins , delicately spotted body , and their eventual adult size .
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 .
featherfin catfish have a flattened underside and triangular flanks leading up to their sharp , spined dorsal fin that develops lacy extensions on the adults . the barbels are quite pronounced and very flexible allowing them to seek food and warn other competitors off with a ‘tickle’ . these catfish are often spotted or patterned with varying degrees of browns and sometimes grays . called featherfin synodontis , they are particularly noted for their huge , feathery fins . because featherfins can range greatly in color , they can easily be confused with similar
the mochokids are largely known by aquarists by the several somber to gorgeous members of the genus synodontis . though this genus accounts for the lions - share of mochokids ( about 120 ) , there are other
really neat
mochokids that infrequently grace international aquariums . of note are the
african plecos
or better
african suckermouth catfishes
in three genera of this family ; atopochilus , chiloglanis , and euchilichthys . like their common namesake these fishes have underslung subterminal mouths , flattened heads . mochokiella paynei , microsynodontis spp .
maximum likelihood tree . maximum likelihood topology based on the k81uf + i + γ model of molecular evolution [ 70 ] with nucleotide frequencies a , 0 . 3581 , c , 0 . 2676 , g , 0 . 1368 , t , 0 . 2375 , proportion of invariable sites ( i ) , 0 . 2461 , gamma shape parameter ( α ) , 0 . 7306 , and r - matrix a↔g , a↔t , c↔g and g↔t , 1 . 0000 ; a↔g , 7 . 7875 and c↔t , 1 . 2463 . the blue box indicates the east african clade of synodontis .
there are quite a few colour varients to this species ( see colour section below ) and it depends on where a certain speciman originates from as s . schall is one of the few synodontis species with a very large geographical distribution . it is known from practically all west african basins , except for the coastal basins of sierra leone and liberia ( paugy and roberts 1992 ; paugy et al . 1994 ) . the species is also known from the nile basin , uebi giuba ( = uebi shebeli ) , and lakes abaia , stephanie , turkana ( = rudolf ) and tchad ( poll 1971 ; paugy et al . 1994 ) .
all species in the genus synodontis have a hardened head cap that has attached a process ( humeral process ) which is situated behind the gill opening and pointed towards the posterior . the dorsal fin and pectoral fins have a hardened first ray which is serrated . caudal fin is always forked . there is one pair of maxillary barbels , sometimes having membranes and occasionally branched . the two pairs of mandibular barbels are often branched and can have nodes attached . the cone - shaped teeth in the upper jaw are short . s - shaped and movable in the lower jaw . these fish produce audible sounds when disturbed rubbing the base of the pectoral spine against the pectoral girdle .
featherfin synodontis are omnivores that feed on insect larvae , algae , and any other foods source they can scavenge in the wild . in the aquarium they are not hard to feed at all . they are enthusiastic eaters will consume nearly any food they can locate with a rambunctious attitude . even though they prefer to be under cover during day time , the tantalizing smell of food in the water will often bring them out of their domain for a good feasting time . meaty foods , vegetable tablets , and anything in between will be appreciated by these hardy eaters . brine shrimp and blood worms ( either live or frozen ) , or even small earthworms are an excellent once a week snack .
a minimum 50 gallon aquarium is recommended for a full sized featherfin squeaker . this synodontis catfish enjoys a tank with lots of hiding places , particularly driftwood . they have fun chasing each other around all the tunnels and holes , while feeling secure under the driftwood . once they find their favorite spot , they will stay there much of their lives unless the tank is revamped or a competitor out competes them for the space . porous rocks , such as the tufa used for african cichlid tanks , are also welcomed by these catfish . substrate should be sand or some type of smooth gravel to reduce the chance of barbel damage . plants also provide cover , but they must be tough and resilient since these catfish often shove away anything in their path .
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 .
all species in the genus synodontis have a hardened head cap that has attached a process ( humeral process ) which is situated behind the gill opening and pointed towards the posterior . the dorsal fin and pectoral fins have a hardened first ray which is serrated . caudal fin is always forked . there is one pair of maxillary barbels , sometimes having membranes and occasionally branched . the two pairs of mandibular barbels are often branched and can have nodes attached . the cone - shaped teeth in the upper jaw are short . s - shaped and movable in the lower jaw . these fish produce audible sounds when disturbed rubbing the base of the pectoral spine against the pectoral girdle . juvenile colouration is quite different from that of the adult . the change begins when the fish reach about 40mm and gradually continues until they pass the 100mm mark .
a few species have been spawned in captivity with and without hormonal manipulation / injection . females become very robust ( fat ) as they near spawning time and have broader , blunter genital papillae than males . some notes re various species : synodontis petricola scatters its dense , clear eggs and milt at night in a cave and no parental care is exercised . s . shoutedeni is a day spawner , with eggs being released in mid - water and females practicing a type of
sperm drinking
fertilization , having engulfed the males sperm just ahead of this time while diving into floating material together . s . multipuncatus is a sort of
cuckoo catfish
that hangs around with various mouthbrooding cichlids , sneaking their fertilized eggs amongst the unknowing cichlids spawn . the multipuncatus fry hatch out ahead of the cichlids and generally consume them over time .
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 .
mochokid cats readily accept all types of foods in good quantity . in fact , the only real concern is balancing how much food to offer with your given mix of aquarium life . if you have a good deal of surface to mid - water feeding fishes , your cats may suffer from over - competition . . . and so you might be compelled to place sinking foods down near the bottom for their consumption . another approach is to feed near dark or near daybreak ( tank light break ? ) while your other fishes are
more asleep
. over time , most commonly available species of mochokids learn to feed at the surface . . . during daylight hours . in any event , make sure your squeakers are receiving their share of some high - protein food daily or more often . this being stated , some greenery should be included in their diets regularly , particularly the non - synodontis species . blanched zucchini is relished , spinach is fine though messy , and even
green - based
pellets , sticks and tablets are good .
a recent paper by tobias musschoot and philippe laleye ( may 2008 ) stated that they carried out a morphometric study of 105 specimens of synodontis schall , including most type specimens of all nominal species considered junior synonyms of s . schall . two new species s . ouemeensis and s . kogonensis are described from the ogun ( nigeria ) , oueme ( benin ) and mono ( togo ) basins , and the kogon and fatala ( guinea ) basins , respectively . a neotype is designated for s . schall . the two new species differ from s . schall mainly by the width of the premaxillary toothplate ( 12 . 9–24 . 3 % hl for s . schall vs . 21 . 6–32 . 7 % hl ) , and can be distinguished one from the other by differences in orbit diameter ( 20 . 5–26 . 8 % hl for s . ouemeensis vs . 19 . 4–21 . 0 % hl for s . kogonensis ) and prepectoral length ( 23 . 4–28 . 2 % sl for s . ouemeensis vs . 21 . 6–23 . 3 % sl for s . kogonensis ) .
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catalogue of the fresh - water fishes of africa in the british museum ( natural history ) . .
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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 .
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mochokid catfishes are currently restricted to the freshwaters of africa , but are nearly ubiquitous in the habitable waters of the continent . a high degree of morphological diversity allows mochokid catfishes to inhabit some of the fastest flowing streams and cataracts to the widest and deepest stretches of the congo river . mochokids also inhabit the massive african rift lakes like tanganyika , victoria and nyasa . the greatest diversity of mochokids almost certainly occurs in the congo river and its numerous tributaries , but they are also found in many of the rivers and lakes of western africa , southern africa , eastern africa and in the nile . like a handful of other catfishes , some mochokids are known to swim in mid - water ; other members of the family are primarily benthic . likewise , some mochokids shoal while others are rather solitary . as a rule they are most active during the night , but they can be found hiding amongst plants , logs and other submerged structure during the day .
lateral view of atopochilus vogti , illustrating typical body shape in sucker - mouthed mochokids ; cu 93752 . ©
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
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
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
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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. african squeaker and suckermouth catfishes . version 02 march 2009 ( under construction ) .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
this species is only certainly known from the river cross and the lower niger in nigeria . it is possibly in the river offin ( ghana ) - the records need verification . it has also been recorded in central african republic but the records are old and need checking .
this fish lives in streams and lakes and feeds on plankton , detritus and plants . it is a bentho - pelagic species capable of airbreathing .
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105mm or 4 . 1
sl . find near , nearer or same sized spp .
first lay the fish in your hand with its head toward your palm and the tail toward your fingers . hold the dorsal spine between your middle and ring finger so the fish is belly up and you won ' t get stuck ( which by the way , hurts like crazy ! ) . the genital pore is in a small furrow of tissue ( in healthy fish ) and will be obstructed by the pelvic fins . pull down on the tail gently to arch the fishes spine and the pelvic fins will stand and the furrow open to display the genital pore and the anus of the fish . the male has a somewhat ridged genital papillae on which the spermatoduct is on the back side , facing the tail fin . a gravid female will also show an extended papillae but the oviduct is on the ventral side of the papillae ( and may also show a little redness if really gravid ) . a thin or emaciated female will have just two pink pores , the oviduct and the anus .