synodontis tanganyicae is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to the democratic republic of the congo , zambia , and tanzania , where it is only known from lake tanganyika .

it was first described by russian-american ichthyologist nikolai andreyevich borodin in 1936 , from specimens collected at kasaga , in what is now the democratic republic of the congo .

the species name tanganyicae comes from the habitat of the species , lake tanganyika .

synodontis tanganyicae

lateral view of synodontis ornatipinnis , illustrating the striking patterns seen in some species of synodontis ; cu 91403 . ©
synodontis
may also squeak when they are taken out of the water .
so where are we with the species name of this fish ? darn confused , that’s where . in making my own decision i will choose to follow the name in d & t ( synodontis tanganyicae ) —at least until further notice .
above i made mention of variants of the spelling of the synodontis species name tanganyicae . there are currently two spellings that are in general use : tanganyicae ( which i use ) and tanganaicae ( which is used in the day and wilkinson paper ) . a quick online search provides many more hits for the first spelling , but internet search engine numbers are not the final arbiter of taxonomic correctness .
gosse , j . - p . 1982 . mutanda ichthyologica : synodontis polli nom . nov . et synodontis ornatissimus nom . nov . cybium ( 3 e série ) 6 48 .
roman , b . 1975 . une nouvelle espèce de synodontis ( poissons , mochocides ) dans la bougouriba , affluent de la volta noire : synodontis voltae . notes docum . volta 8 : 4552 .
de vos , l . , and d . f . e . thys van den audenaerde . 1998 . le statut taxonomique de synodontis serratus tanganyicae borodin , 1936 du lac tanganyika ( teleostei ; mochokidae ) : synonymie avec s . lacustricolus poll , 1953 . journal of african zoology 112 : 147156 .
kochetov . 1998 . [ a new species of synodontis ] . aquarium 2 : 4445 . [ in russian . ]
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 : 13031331 .
axelrod , h . r . 1970 . synodontis davidi , david ' s upside - down catfish . tropical fish hobbyist 18 : 3335 .
david , l . 1936 . deux espèces de synodontis du moyen - congo . revue de zoologie et de botanique africaines 28 : 416418 .
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 .
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 .
pellegrin , j . 1924 . description d ' un poisson nouveau du gabon appartenant au genre synodontis . bulletin de la société zoologique de france 49 : 320322 .
pellegrin , j . 1927 . description d ' un siluridé nouveau du cameroun appartenant au genre synodontis . bulletin de la société zoologique de france 52 : 365366 .
so , with the above in place , d & t did the taxonomic equivalent of a “hanging chad” examination and concluded , based on an earlier paper ( 1931 ) by borodin , that the “intent” had been to use tanganyicae , and they adopted this as the species name .
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
poll , m . 1974 . un nouveau synodontis ( pisces mochocidae ) de la rivière lukenie ( république du zaïre ) . revue de zoologie africaine 88 : 441444 .
abu gideiri , y . b . 1967 . a new species of genus synodontis ( siluroidea , teleostei ) . revue de zoologie et de botanique africaines 76 : 132136 .
day , j . j . , and m . wilkinson . 2006 . on the origin of the synodontis catfish species flock from lake tanganyika . biology letters 2 : 548552 .
bailey , r . g . 1968 . a new species of synodontis ( mochokidae ) from tanzania , east africa . revue de zoologie et de botanique africaines 77 : 346348 .
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 .
de vos , l . 2001 . synodontis manni ( teleostei : mochokidae ) , a new catfish from the lower tana river , kenya . ichthyological exploration of freshwaters 12 : 4150 .
vaillant , l . l . 1895 . sur la dentition des synodontis et diagnose d ' espèces nouvelles . comptes rendus de la société philomathique de paris no . 16 : 4748 .
poll , m . 1971 . révision des synodontis africains ( famille mochocidae ) . annales du musée royal de l’afrique centrale , series in 8º , sciences zoologiques no . 191 : 1497 .
bishai h . m . and y . b . abu gideiri . 1965a . studies on the biology of genus synodontis at khartoum . i . age and growth . hydrobiologia 26 : 8597 .
bishai h . m . and y . b . abu gideiri . 1965b . studies on the biology of genus synodontis at khartoum . ii . food and feeding habits . hydrobiologia 26 : 98113 .
boulenger , g . a . 1908 . description of a new silurid fish of the genus synodontis from south cameroon . annals and magazine of natural history ( ser . 8 ) 2 : 3031 .
willoughby , n . g . 1994 . the taxonomy of the genus synodontis ( pisces : siluroidea ) in lake kainji , nigeria . the african journal of tropical hydrobiology and fisheries 5 : 2530 .
poll , m . , and t . r . roberts . 1968 . description d ' une espèce nouvelle de synodontis du bassin du congo . revue de zoologie et de botanique africaines 77 : 296302 .
vaillant , l . l . 1895 . essai monographique sur les silures du genre synodontis . nouvelles archives du muséum d’histoire naturelle , paris ( ser . 3 ) 7 : 223284 , pls . 914 .
vaillant , l . l . 1896 . essai monographique sur les silures du genre synodontis , suite et fin . nouvelles archives du muséum d’histoire naturelle , paris ( ser . 3 ) 8 : 87178 .
wright , j . j . , and l . m . page . 2006 . taxonomic revision of lake tanganyikan synodontis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . florida museum of natural history bulletin 46 : 99154 .
skelton , p . h . , and p . n . white . 1990 . two new species of synodontis ( pisces : siluroidei : mochokidae ) from southern africa . ichthyological exploration of freshwaters 1 : 277287 .
synodontis : from the greek syn , meaning together , and odontos , meaning tooth ; in reference to the closely - spaced lower jaw teeth . the species name refers to the fact that fish comes from lake tanganyika .
wright , j . j . and l . m . page . 2006 . taxonomic revision of the lake tanganyikan synodontis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . the bulletin of the florida museum of natural history 46 : 99154 .
wright , j . j . , and l . m . page . 2008 . a new species of synodontis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) from tributaries of the kasai river in northern angola . copeia 2008 : 294300 .
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 .
daget , j . 1965 . espèces nouvelles ou rares de synodontis récoltés en côte d ' ivoire . ( pisces , siluriformes ) . bulletin du muséum national d’histoire naturelle ( 2 e série ) 36 , for 1964 : 472476 .
day , j . j . , and m . wilkinson . 2006 . on the origin of the synodontis catfish species flock from lake tanganyika . biology letters doi : 10 . 1098 / rsbl . 2006 . 0532 : 15 .
keilhack , l . 1908 . bemerkungen zur fishfauna des nördlichen njassa - gebietes : einige neue arten aus den gattungen barbus und synodontis und beiträge zur systematik der gattung clarias . sitzungsberichte der gesellschaft naturforschender freunde zu berlin 1908 : 164169 .
this is arguably the most popular and widespread in the hobby of the lake tanganyikan synodontis species . it is—or , better said , was—also one of the most easily recognized of the species . but this has changed due to the presence of…
paugy , d . 1987 . description de deux nouvelles espèces de synodontis du bassin du konkouré ( guinée ) , s . dekimpei et s . levequei ( pisces , mochokidae ) . cybium ( 3 e série ) 11 : 357364 .
whitehead , p . j . p . 1962 . a new species of synodontis ( pisces : mochocidae ) and notes on a mormyrid fish from the eastern rivers of kenya . revue de zoologie et de botanique africaines 65 : 97120 .
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 .
bruwer , e . e . , and f . h . van der bank . 2003 . a morphological key for the identification of southern african synodontis species cuvier , 1816 ( teleostei : mochokidae ) . african journal of aquatic science 28 : 183186 .
koblmüller , s . , c . sturmbauer , e . verheyen , a . meyer , and w . salzburger . 2006 . mitochondrial phylogeny and phylogeography of east afridcan squeaker catfishes ( siluriformes : synodontis ) . bmc evolutionary biology 6 : 49 . urltoken
smith , j . a . 1875 . 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 : 8995 .
daget , j . , and c . lévêque . 1981 . description d ' un poisson nouveau de côte d ' ivoire synodontis comoensis n . sp . ( pisces , mochocidae ) . cybium ( 3 e série ) 5 ( 2 ) : 4552 .
wright , j . j . and l . m . page , 2006 . taxonomic revision of lake tanganyikan synodontis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . bull . florida mus . nat hist . 46 ( 4 ) : 99 - 154 . ( ref . 59365 )
day , j . j . & m . wilkinson . 2006 . “on the origin of the synodontis catfish species flock from lake tanganyika . ” biology letters , 2 ( 4 ) : 548 - 552 [ plus two pages of supplemental material available online ] .
boulenger , g . a . 1901 . descriptions of three new siluroid fishes of the genus synodontis discovered by mr . w . l . s . loat in the white nile . annals and magazine of natural history ( ser . 7 ) 8 : 1012 .
in last month’s column i did a discussion on the spelling of the species name of this fish . i ended up noting that i was going to use the spelling “ tanganyicae ” until further notice . wright and page accept that this is a proper species , but revert to the spelling of the name in the manner of borodin— tanganaicae . so for now i will follow this spelling in that it is part of such a major work .
friel , j . p . , and j . p . sullivan . 2008 . synodontis woleuensis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) , a new species of catfish from gabon and equatorial guinea , africa . proceedings of the academy of natural sciences of philadelphia 157 : 312 .
friel , j . p . and t . r . vigliotta . 2006 . synodontis acanthoperca , a new species from the ogôoué river system , gabon with comments on spiny ornamentation and sexual dimorphism in mochokid catfishes ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . zootaxa 1125 : 4556 .
friel , j . p . , and 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 .
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 .
the origin of the problem with this species name ( there , i avoided using either name ! ) is in the original description . the fish was originally described in 1936 by n . a . borodin as a subspecies of synodontis serratus . the name in question was appended as a third name . in the paper , spelling problems are rife , and both spellings , as above , are used in different places . to emphasize the point i will note that the spellings synodontis and sinodontis [ sic ] are also both used in the paper .
de weirdt , d . , e . vreven , and y . fermon . 2008 . synodontis ngouniensis , new species ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) from the ngounié and nyanga basins , gabon and republic of congo . ichthyological exploration of freshwaters 19 : 121 - - 128 .
friel , j . p . , and t . r . vigliotta . 2006 . synodontis acanthoperca , a new species from the ogooue river system , gabon with comments on spiny ornamentation and sexual dimorphism in mochokid catfishes ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . zootaxa 1125 : 4556 .
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 .
so this is the listing of lake tanganyikan synodontis revisions based on the work of wright and page . hopefully i have provided some answers in this discussion , but i know that i have created some questions . there will be more to follow in the months to come—hopefully , more answers than questions .
taverne , l . , and a . aloulou - triki . 1974 . étude anatomique , myologique et ostéologique du genre synodontis cuvier ( pisces : siluriformes , mochocidae ) . annales du musée royal de l ' afrique centrale , series in 8º , sciences zoologiques no . 210 : pl . 12 .
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 .
first noted will be the non - endemic species synodontis melanostictus , which is sometimes referred to as s . nigromaculatus . the latter fish is a valid species , but it is not found in the lake . s . melanostictus from the vicinity of the lake is not very important hobby wise , and it is rarely imported .
in recent columns i have discussed two recently published studies on the lake tanganyikan synodontis species . both of the works covered were based on mitochondrial dna and indicated the presence of undescribed species . now the standard taxonomists have had their go at these fishes and a revision based on the examination of 312 specimens has recently been published ( wright , j . j . and l . m . page , 2006 . “taxonomic revision of lake tanganyikan synodontis [ siluriformes : mochokidae ] . ” bulletin of the florida museum of natural history , 46 ( 4 ) : 99 - 154 ) . what follows are some notes , of varying length , based on the revision .
this is the largest of the endemic species of lake tanganyikan synodontis . in table 2 , wright and page list the maximum length of this fish as 585 mm tl , but on page 147 they make note of poll’s holotype of s . lacustricolus ( 601 mm tl , 23 . 7 inches ) , which is a synonym of this species , which increases the maximum length by a bit .
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 . ©
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 .
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 .
in any case , when devos and thys van den audenaerde ( hereafter d & t ) re - examined this “species” in 1998 they decided that it was not related to s . serratus and was in fact a valid species in its own right . in addition , they concluded that max poll had redescribed it under the name of s . lacustricolis . so poll’s name became a synonym of this species , which had taken the species name tanganyicae . now , with two spellings in place , how did d & t decide which was the proper one ? but , let’s wait a minute , because there is actually a third spelling out there ( are you confused yet ? ) . in 1946 , 1953 , and 1971 poll used the spelling “ tanganicae . ” as far as i can determine there is no reason given for this change of spelling .
the work on synodontis covered herein ( and the november , 2006 column ) is more or less clear and straightforward . but in my last column i had made mention of two madtom catfishes ( noturus albater and n . maydeni ) that were noted to be physically identical and separable only by the use of chromosome , protein , and dna analysis . good enough . i’m wrapping my head around this . then i read a new cichlid taxonomy paper ( yes , i like cichlids also ) . the pain began .
in a previous column ( “good news from lake tanganyika , ” tfh november 2006 ) i discussed work being done on lake tanganyikan synodontis utilizing mitochondrial dna techniques . the main part of the column was built around one study ( koblmuller , et al . , 2006 ) , but some additional work , available only in abstract form at that time , was also mentioned . this work has now been formally published ( day and wilkinson , 2006 ) and i would like to make mention of this as a follow - up .
froese , r . and d . pauly . editors . 2009 . fishbase . world wide web electronic publication . www . fishbase . org , version ( 01 / 2009 ) . eccles , d . h . 1992 fao species identification sheets for fishery purposes . field guide to the freshwater fishes of tanzania . prepared and published with the support of the united nations development programme ( project urt / 87 / 016 ) . fao , rome . 145 p . wright , jj and lm page ( 2006 ) taxonomic revision of lake taganyikan synodontis ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) . florida mus . nat . hist . bull . 46 ( 4 ) : 99 - 154
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 .
the above listings and brief comments will hopefully be somewhat helpful with the identification of the endemic species ( or at least groups ) of synodontis from lake tanganyika . however , i know that at this stage this situation may be problematic . a good case in point is the similar species s . petricola and s . lucipinnis . while these form a “natural group” of sorts based on the white spines of the rayed fins ( most notable on the dorsal and pectoral fins ) , other defining characters are not easy to demonstrate using standard aquarium type photographs ( most typically a good side - view ) . a couple of the differences that are difficult to demonstrate in the manner are :
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 .
fermon , y . , d . de weirdt , and j . friel . 2007 . synodontis , p . 729 - - 752 . in : fermon , y . , j . friel , h . h . ng , and d . de weirdt . mochokidae , p . 698 - - 752 . in : poissons d’eaux douces et saumâtres de basse guinée , ouest de l’afrique centrale . the fresh and brackish water fishes of lower guinea , west - central africa . [ collection faune et flore tropicales 42 ] . vol . 1 . m . l . j . stiassny , g . g . teugels & c . d . hopkins ( ed . ) , institut de recherché pour le développement , paris , múseum national d’histoire naturelle , paris , and musée royal de l’afrique centrale , tervuren .
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 .
490mm or 19 . 3
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 .
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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
chapman , l . j . , l . kaufman , and c . a . chapman . 1994 . why swim upside - down - a comparative study of 2 mochokid catfishes . copeia 1994 : 130135 .
ferraris , c . j . , jr . 2007 . checklist of catfishes , recent and fossil ( osteichthyes : siluriformes ) , and catalogue of siluriform primary types . zootaxa 1418 : 1628 .
friel , j . p . and t . r . vigliotta . 2008 . atopodontus adriaensi , a new genus and species of african suckermouth catfish from the ogôoué and nyanga river systems of gabon ( siluriformes mochokidae ) . proceedings of the academy of natural sciences of philadelphia 157 : 1323 .
jubb , r . a . 1967 . freshwater fishes of southern africa . cape town , amsterdam , balkema , 248 pp .
ng , h . h . and r . m . bailey . 2006 . chiloglanis productus , a new species of suckermouth catfish ( siluriformes : mochokidae ) from zambia . occasional papers of the university of michigan museum of zoology 738 : 113 .
otero , o . and m . gayet . 2001 . palaeoichthyofaunas from the lower oligocene and miocene of the arabian plate : palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical implications . palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology 165 : 141169 .
roberts , t . r . 1989 . systematic revision and description of new species of suckermouth catfishes ( chiloglanis , mochokidae ) from cameroun . proceedings of the california academy of sciences series 4 , 46 : 151178 .
sato , t . 1986 . a brood parasitic catfish of mouthbrooding cichlid fishes in lake tanganyika . nature 323 : 5859 .
seegers , l . 1996 . the fishes of the lake rukwa drainage . musée royal de lafrique centrale , annales , sciences zoologiques 278 : 1407 .
seegers , l . 2008 . the catfishes of africa . a handbook for identification and maintenance . aqualog verlag , rodgau , germany . 604 pp .
stewart , k . m . 2001 . the freshwater fish of neogene africa ( miocene - pleistocene ) : systematics and biogeography . fish and fisheries ( oxford ) 2 : 177230
vigliotta , t . r . 2008 . a phylogenetic study of the african catfish family mochokidae ( osteichthyes , ostariophysi , siluriformes ) , with a key to genera . proceedings of the academy of natural sciences of philadelphia 157 : 73136 .
winemiller , k . o . , and l . c . kelso - winemiller . 1996 . comparative ecology of catfishes of the upper zambezi river floodplain . journal of fish biology 49 : 10431061 .
wisenden , b . d . 1999 . alloparental care in fishes . reviews in fish biology and fisheries 9 : 4570 .
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. african squeaker and suckermouth catfishes . version 02 march 2009 ( under construction ) .
each tol branch page provides a synopsis of the characteristics of a group of organisms representing a branch of the tree of life . the major distinction between a branch and a leaf of the tree of life is that each branch can be further subdivided into descendent branches , that is , subgroups representing distinct genetic lineages .
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greek , syn , symphysis = grown together + greek , odous = teeth ( ref . 45335 )
africa : endemic to lake tanganyika , fairly common ( ref . 59365 ) and distributed throughout the lake ( ref . 78218 ) .
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 56 . 0 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 3202 )
found in littoral to benthic zones over shell ( ref . 59365 ) , sand and mud bottoms ( ref . 4967 , 59365 ) . has been captured from depths of 120 - 140 m ( ref . 27623 ) . diet consists of gastropods , lamellibranchs , insect larvae , ostracods and shrimps ( ref . 36901 ) . oviparous ( ref . 205 ) .
oviparous ( ref . 205 ) . distinct pairing during breeding ( ref . 205 ) .
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 5000 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01380 ( 0 . 00613 - 0 . 03110 ) , b = 2 . 95 ( 2 . 77 - 3 . 13 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this genus - body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 2 . 8 ±0 . 3 se ; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : medium , minimum population doubling time 1 . 4 - 4 . 4 years ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : moderate vulnerability ( 39 of 100 ) .
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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 .
borodin , n . a . 1936 . on a collection of freshwater fishes from lakes nyasa , tanganyika and viktoria in central afrika . zoologische jahrbücher , abteilung für systematik , geographie und biologie der tiere 68 ( 1 ) : 1 - 34 , pl . 1 .
snoeks , j . ( freshwater fish red list authority ) & darwall , w . ( freshwater biodiversity assessment programme )
justification : endemic to lake tanganyika where it is widespread throughout the littoral zone . it has no known major widespread threats although it may be locally threatened by siltation .
caught over a wide depth range but is most common between 20–40 m . it has been recorded down to 130 m . feeds on invertebrates and molluscs .
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african aquatic ( 1 ) eccles , d . h . field guide to the freshwater fishes of tanzania ( 2 ) steven grant ( 2 )
dorsal soft rays ( total ) : 8 ; anal soft rays : 8 . inhabits moderately deep water on rocky or muddy bottoms . has been captured from depths of 120 - 140 m . oviparous . not as commonly imported as the similar looking s . multipunctatus . colour in alcohol , - dorsum grey to reddish brown . belly light in colour . scattered small black spots present on entire body . maxillary and mandibular barbels white , bases sometimes with scattered dusky pigmentation . iris copper coloured . dorsal and pectoral spines dark , terminating in short , dusky filaments . all rayed fins with small , dark spots similar to those on body . juvenile specimens with black triangles at bases of rayed fins . aquarium care : as for the similar looking s . multipunctatus . remarks : the last two thumbnail im ages are supposed to be wild caught specimens but the image contributor has not ruled out a possible hybrid species .
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that takes care of the easy part . now to the endemic species , which have a far greater complexity . the new revision recognizes 10 endemic species , with three of them being described as new . in addition , one species that was previously placed in synonymy is resurrected . some situations are clarified by the paper , but others ( from the point of the catfishes in the hobby ) are a little less clear .
this is one of the new species of wright and page . in color pattern it is in all ways identical to s . multipunctatus . it is interesting comparing the coloration sections of the paper on this new species and s . multipunctatus . except for three words ( which change nothing ) and one small punctuation difference , the coloration sections for these two species are identical . where do we go from here ?
there are a number of small physical differences that separate these two species , but many of them can be difficult to work with on living catfishes . there are two features that can be used to differentiate the species and these are usable on living fishes . the first of these is the number of soft rays in pectoral fins . in s . grandiops this number is reported to be consistently seven . in s . multipunctatus it is reported to always be eight .
the other feature for identification is the difference in the size of the eye . s . multipunctatus has a smaller eye size ( noted to be 44 . 9 to 62 percent of the snout length ) . in s . grandiops the eye size is 64 . 2 to 81 percent of the snout length . the snout length is defined as the distance between the very tip of the forward part of the head ( snout ) and the anterior margin of the eye . so basically , s . grandiops has a much larger eye in relation to the snout length . interestingly , the species name grandiops means large ( or big ) eye .
based on some snout length / eye diameter measurements made on photographs , it is clear that this species , which is noted to be common , has been imported into the hobby .
there are also size differences between the two species , but these would only be helpful in the case of having a large s . multipunctatus . the maximum sizes provided for the two species are 280 mm tl ( 11 inches ) for s . multipunctatus and 150 mm tl ( 5 . 9 inches ) s . grandiops .
the description of s . grandiops does bear out my contention that there was hidden diversity in the fish we have historically called s . multipunctatus .
interestingly , in the 312 fish used for the revision only one s . dhonti was identified . this was the large type specimen which was collected in 1912 and measures 395 mm tl ( 15 . 5 in . ) . so , what smaller fish possibly seen in the hobby might look like is anyone’s guess .
s . irsacae , which has been considered a synonym of s . dhonti , has been resurrected to species rank . this smaller species ( 190 mm tl , 7 . 5 inches ) has been known as s . dhonti in the hobby and aquarists keeping it have wondered why it never got as large as it was supposed to . now we know…it wasn’t supposed to get any larger .
this very distinctive species , which reaches a reasonably decent size of 270 mm tl ( 10 . 6 inches ) is more than distinctive enough so that it needs little description—beyond “stunning ! ”
s . petricola is one of the two so - far - described species in which the dorsal and pectoral spines are colored white ( the other is the new species s . lucipinnis ) and all rayed fins have black roughly triangular markings at their base . s . petricola is one of the smaller species and reaches a length of 135 mm tl ( 5 . 3 inches ) .
this is a new species and its coloration is very much like that of s . petricola , with one main difference . with this species it is noted that there are “lightly colored windows” at the base of the black triangles on the fins . these “windows” are stated to be “most noticeable in dorsal and anal fins . ”
s . lucipinnis is a smaller fish than s . petricola and reaches a maximum size of 100 mm tl ( 3 . 9 inches ) . this fish appears to be , at least in part , the so - called “dwarf petricola ” of the hobby . i will emphasize the “in part” in that the widespread use ( and misuse ) of common names in the hobby can , and does , lead to a lot of confusion . such names on the commercial level are many times bandied around with little rhyme or reason . most often there is no malice involved , but it can nonetheless lead to confusion and make discussions on the various fishes involved somewhat problematic .
note : although the two above species are noted to be the only ones having white spine coloration , various imported fishes over the years do , to my mind , indicate that there may be greater diversity to be discovered in this group .
this is a fairly well - known species that reaches a maximum size of 180 mm tl ( 7 inches ) . notable with this fish is its relatively broad mouth . the dorsal and pectoral spines are dark in coloration , but the pectoral spines are noted to have a “thin , light stripe along anterior margin . ” in younger fish the caudal fin has a white posterior margin , but this becomes duskier with growth .
s . ilebrevis , a new species , bears some resemblance to s . polli . but it does differ in lacking the light stripe on the anterior margin of the pectoral spines . the spotted pattern is noted to consist of “small , regularly shaped , widely spaced black spots . ” this is opposed to the pattern of s . polli which has “large , irregularly shaped black spots . ” the lighter coloration on the caudal fin is noted to be consistently dusky . s . ilebrevis is smaller in size than s . polli and is reported to reach a maximum length of 150 mm tl ( 5 . 9 inches ) .
the shape of the humeral process . these are noted to be quite similar in both species , but some differences are evident on close examination .
belly spots . in s . petricola these are noted to be small and irregularly shaped . s . lucipinnis is stated to have spots of a more regular shape .
axillary pore . herein lies a major diagnostic difference . this opening , located between the lower edge of the humeral process and the base of the pectoral spine , is small but present in s . petricola and lacking in s . lucipinnis . i have yet to see an aquarium - based photo ( and i have looked at many in preparation of this piece ) that shows any indication of this opening , which is not surprising .
windows in the black fin markings . this is a tough area and needs more study . although wright and page note this as a major difference between the species , their black - and - white photo of s . lucipinnis does not clearly illustrate this as much as i would like . aquarium photos are mixed in regards to “illustrating” this aspect . many photos of “ s . petricola ” that i’ve looked at show varying degrees of a lighter base on the dark areas of the fins . interpreting this to the extreme would seem to indicate that photos of s . lucipinnis are actually more common than those of s . petricola . this area needs more study and i shall be on it . hopefully you shall also be doing the same .
first , i will note that the two studies were performed using different marker genes . while there were some differences encompassing
, was not included in the previous study . ( note : i had used the spelling
in my previous column . see “spelling lesson” below ) . in any case , the fish listed as
now , as previously noted , the above is very interesting but basically academic . what are some of the points to be drawn from this new paper that might be beneficial to us as aquarists ? i will make a few comments that might be of potential interest…
and state that it is awaiting description . in that some of the collecting localities of this fish are the same as the new species of
. they note that this catfish “…may also represent an undescribed species . ” the two specimens of this fish were collected in localities shared by both of the fish that koblmuller et al . mention , as well as the other
of day and wilkinson . so this basically means that when someone gets around to looking at these catfishes , anywhere from one to three new species could be the potential result . it may take a while , but it will be something to look forward to .
, and the democratic republic of congo . they note , by the methodology they used , that there is little genetic variation between them . i will still stick with my original contention that the catfish that we know as


zungaro is a genus of long-whiskered catfishes native to south america , with two currently recognized species : zungaro jahu ( ihering , 1898 ) zungaro zungaro ( humboldt , 1821 ) ( gilded catfish )

zungaro

structural and ultrastructural description of larval development in zungaro jahu . - pubmed - ncbi
zungaro , peru elevation is 194 meters height , that is equal to 636 feet .
area of study . the information for this study was collected in the principal landing centers of z . zungaro in the colombian orinoquia .
zungaro is a small village in central peru , located in eastern part of huanuco region . there are about 450 people living in the village . the settlement is located at the bent of a small river , and there is a great deal of small fields and farms surrounding zungaro .
the latitude of zungaro , peru is - 9 . 370445 , and the longitude is - 75 . 034096 . zungaro , peru is located at peru country in the villages place category with the gps coordinates of 9° 22 ' 13 . 6020 ' ' s and 75° 2 ' 2 . 7456 ' ' w .
figure 2 . average sizes ( ls cm ) and standard deviation of z . zungaro catches ( males and females ) in puerto lopez . period 1979 - 2011 .
figure 3 . average size of monthly catch of z . zungaro males and females in the upper meta river throughout the water cycle ( average 1979 - 2011 ) .
figure 6 . historical variation for five year periods ( 30 years ) of the sizes at gonadal maturity of z . zungaro males and females in the upper meta river .
coordinates of zungaro , peru is given above in both decimal degrees and dms ( degrees , minutes and seconds ) format . the country code given is in the iso2 format .
figure 7 . spatial variation of length at gonadal maturity ( tmg ) of z . zungaro males and females between the upper parts of the meta and guaviare ( 2007 - 2011 ) rivers .
size at gonadal maturity ( tmg ) . the size at gonadal maturity for z . zungaro females was significantly different from that of males ( p < 0 . 05 ) , so that the results are reported by sex .
silfvergrip , a . m . c . , 1992 . zungaro , a senior synonym of paulicea ( teleostei : pimelodidae ) . ichthyol . explor . freshwat . 3 ( 4 ) : 305 - 310 . ( ref . 26389 )
16 . alves cbm , silva lgm , godinho al . radiotelemetry of a female jaú , zungaro jahu ( ihering , 1898 ) ( siluriformes : pimelodidae ) , passed upstream of funil dam , rio grande , brazil . neotrop ichthyol 2007 ; 5 : 229 - 232 . [ links ]
objective . to determine the effect of fishing on capture size of both male and female zungaro zungaro catfish , historical records of size and spatial distribution of the species were analyzed from the orinoco basin in colombian . materials and methods . information was collected by sampling fishing port landings in the region between 1979 and 2011 . each specimen was measured , weighed and sexed . with 5411 records , the average size at capture were compared in time and among the different ports . size at 50 % maturity was estimated by quinquennium . results . the average commercial capture sizes of z . zungaro ranged from 35 to 161 cm standard length , with differences between males and females . from 1979 to 2011 , in puerto lopez , the size at sexual maturity decreased from 123 . 8 to 83 . 4 cm in females and from 93 . 3 to 61 in males . in the annual cycle the greater average capture size in females was from april to july and for males from may to june . average annual length is higher in the higher parts of the meta and guaviare river drainages . in the last quinquennium the size at 50 % maturity had fallen 10 cm in females and 5 cm in males and it is higher than the average capture size . conclusions . populations of z . zungaro in the colombian orinoco river basin have been affected by overfishing and selective fishing of females .
commercial catch sizes of z . zungaro in the colombian orinoco were within a range of 35 to 161 cm ls , with significant differences ( p < 0 . 05 ) between males and females . variations in average catch sizes were evident in both time ( within the hydrological and interannual cycle ) , and space , considering their geographic distribution .
1 . boni ta , padial aa , prioli smap , lucio lc , maniglia tc , bignotto ts et al . molecular differentiation of species of the genus zungaro ( siluriformes , pimelodidae ) from the amazon and paraná - paraguay river basins in brazil . genet mol res 2011 ; 10 ( 4 ) : 2795 - 2805 . [ links ]
objetivo . determinar el grado de afección en la población de zungaro zungaro a partir del análisis del comportamiento histórico y espacial de las tallas de captura de hembras y machos de la especie en la orinoquia colombiana . materiales y métodos . la información fue colectada mediante muestreos a los desembarcos en puertos pesqueros de la región entre 1979 y 2011 . cada ejemplar fue medido , pesado y sexado . con 5411 registros , se estableció la distribución de las tallas medias de captura , que se compararon en el tiempo y entre los diferentes puertos . se estimó la talla de madurez gonadal ( tmg ) por quinquenios . resultados . el rango de las tallas de captura comercial z . zungaro fue de 35 a 161 cm longitud estándar ( ls ) , con diferencia entre machos y hembras . entre los años 1979 a 2011 , en puerto lópez , la talla promedio de captura anual ( ls ) disminuyó de 123 . 8 a 83 . 4 cm en hembras y de 93 . 3 a 61 cm en machos . en el ciclo anual la mayor talla promedio de captura de hembras se presenta en abril a julio y de machos en mayo y junio . la talla promedio de captura anual ( tpca ) es superior en las partes altas de los ríos meta y guaviare . en el último quinquenio la tmg ha disminuido 10 cm en las hembras y cinco cm en los machos y es superior a la tpca . conclusiones . hay afectación sobre la población explotada de z . zungaro por sobrepesca por crecimiento y pesca selectiva de hembras en la orinoquia colombiana .
when there is a difference in size between the two sexes , larger fish are more vulnerable to fishing pressure and a decrease in the size of that sex is more noticeable ( 11 ) , which was clearly evident in the case z . zungaro in the upper meta , where fishing selectivity directed towards females was reflected in the reduction of the average size of catch , greater in females .
z . zungaro is thought to make short migrations that could be similar to z . jau , in which a linear path of 31 . 4 km was estimated over a year ( 16 ) , since they are usually found in the main channel of rivers and whitewater pipes , in deep depressions below wooded sections or waterfalls ( 2 , 16 ) , where they wait for their food to pass by , without having to chasse prey , hence the morphological appearance of robust structure and an almost square head , which differs in body frame when compared with other large migratory catfish of the same group .
in conclusion , the negative impact of fisheries on the species was noted , which may affect future productivity due to declines in recruitment and in the rate of population growth , given that overfishing and selective fishing of adult females is a practice . extending the closure period of three months starting in april is recommended to facilitate migration and increase parental reproductive success of the species in the area . the significant difference in size between males and females in the tmg z . zungaro , as well as the dynamic variation of this parameter in the population over time , demonstrates the urgent need to directly monitor and record catches and individualized long - term analysis by gender that will help detect and establish measures to ensure a sustainable exploitation of this resource .
in 2009 commercial quantities of z . zungaro in the colombian orinoco were in fourth place among the fish species sold in the region , with a contribution of 86 t ( 2 ) . annual landings have declined , for example in puerto lopez , they went from 50 t in 1985 to 32 . 3 t in 2009 ( 2 ) . this decline in landings as well as the large specimens found , the migratory nature of the species and the lack of a conservation program , led it to be included in the red book of freshwater fishes of colombia 2012 , in the category of vulnerable ( 9 ) . this study was done in order to determine if fishery is affecting a population under fishing pressure by analyzing the historical and spatial behavior of catch sizes of males and females of the species .
fisheries exploit the population according to their size frequency distribution ( 15 ) , and larger sizes of z . zungaro were reported in the upper parts of rivers where adults and minors are concentrated and in the lower parts where juveniles are found . reproductive migration of adults has been seen towards the headwaters of the arauca , meta and guaviare ( 2 ) rivers , but not of juveniles that , it is assumed , gradually head upriver but not in bulk . this move upstream of juveniles with sizes above 35 cm would primarily be related to migration of bocachico , prochilodus mariae , their main food and other prey that are not as abundant as mylossoma duriventre , leporinus sp . , astyanax spp . and triportheus ssp . ( during the period of falling and low water ) , when they leave the lagoons and flooded areas to go upriver .
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cfm script by eagbayani , 30 . 11 . 04 , , php script by cmilitante , 05 / 11 / 2010 , last modified by cmilitante , 14 / 03 / 2013
freshwater ; demersal ; ph range : 6 . 5 - 7 . 2 ; dh range : ? - 18 ; potamodromous ( ref . 51243 ) . tropical ; 20°c - 24°c ( ref . 2060 )
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 140 cm sl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 36506 )
specimens measuring 130 cm and weighing 50 kg are not rare . in the amazon , this fish is found quite upstream , in the main bed of the big tributaries with muddy bottom ( ref . 35381 ) . mainly piscivorous , hunts at night , sometimes going into flood prone areas of rivers . some migrations in pursuit of migrating triportheus and anodus have been reported . sexually mature upon reaching 10 kg weight . the nursery ground is at the river mouths ( ref . 35381 ) .
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 7500 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01122 ( 0 . 00633 - 0 . 01990 ) , b = 3 . 09 ( 2 . 93 - 3 . 25 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this species & ( sub ) family - body ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 4 . 5 ±0 . 80 se ; based on food items .
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : very low , minimum population doubling time more than 14 years ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : high to very high vulnerability ( 74 of 100 ) .
lundberg , j . g . and m . w . littmann , 2003 . pimelodidae ( long - whiskered catfishes ) . p . 432 - 446 . in r . e . reis , s . o . kullander and c . j . ferraris , jr . ( eds . ) checklist of the freshwater fishes of south and central america . porto alegre : edipucrs , brasil . ( ref . 36506 )
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 00501 ( 0 . 00243 - 0 . 01032 ) , b = 3 . 11 ( 2 . 93 - 3 . 29 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this ( sub ) family - body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 4 . 5 ±0 . 8 se ; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
1400mm or 55 . 1
sl . find near , nearer or same sized spp .
mainly piscivorous , hunts at night , sometimes going into flood prone areas of rivers .
humboldt & bonpland ' s voyage v . 2 ( title page 1833 ) - pp170 - pl . 46 ( fig . 1 )
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disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
latitude and longitude coordinates are : - 9 . 370445 , - 75 . 034096 .
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marques c 1 , faustino f 2 , bertolucci b 1 , paes mdcf 3 , valentin fn 3 , nakaghi lso 4 .
unesp ' s aquaculture center ( caunesp ) , universidade estadual paulista , campus jaboticabal , são paulo , brazil .
centro de aquicultura da unesp - departamento de morfologia e fisiologia animal , faculdade de ciências agrárias e veterinárias ( fcva ) , univesidade estadual paulista ' julio de mesquita filho ' , via de acesso professor paulo donato castellani , s / n , jaboticabal - sp , cep 14884 - 900 , brazil .
rev . mvz cordoba vol . 21 no . 1 córdoba jan . / apr . 2016
1 universidad de los llanos , faculty of basic and engineering sciences , department of basics , investigation group : evaluation , handling and conservation of hydrobiological and fishing resources , km 12 vía puerto lópez , vereda barcelona , villavicencio , meta , colombia .
key words : overfishing , population dynamics , river fisheries , sexual selection ( source : asfa ) .
palabras clave : dinámica de poblaciones , pesca fluvial , selección sexual , sobrepesca , ( source : asfa ) .
río meta : puerto lópez ( 4°05 ' n and 72°57 ' o ) , cabuyaro ( 4°18 ' n and 72°48 ' o ) , puerto guadalupe ( 4°20 ' n and 72°21o ) , puerto gaitán ( 4°20 ' n and 72°05 ' o ) and puerto carreño ( 4°11 ' n and 67°28 ' o ) .
río guaviare . san josé del guaviare ( 2°34 ' n and 72°38 ' o ) , inírida ( 3°52 ' n and 67°55 ' o ) , as can be seen in figure 1 .
field phase . information was obtained from samples taken at landings . each specimen was measured ( ls ) with a 0 . 01m tape measure , weighed ( gutted ) with a 100 kg capacity scale with 0 . 5 kg approximation , macroscopically sexed and classified as immature or mature ; a male was considered to be mature when pressed gonads released sperm and a female had visible eggs .
information was taken at different times , with a monthly sampling in puerto lopez between 1979 and 1986 , cabuyaro from 1987 - 1990 and 1992 - 1995 , and puerto guadalupe in 1989 , 1990 , 1993 and 1994 , in puerto gaitán with two monthly monitoring times from 1999 - 2001 . in the period from 1987 - 2003 , four monthly surveys were done in puerto lopez . data from 2007 to 2011 , with daily sampling efforts in puerto lopez , puerto gaitán , puerto carreño , san josé del guaviare and inírida , belong to the database of the fisheries and aquaculture sector , provided by the management for fisheries and aquaculture of the national institute of rural development - incoder and the national authority for aquaculture and fisheries - aunap .
given the proximity of puerto lopez , cabuyaro , puerto guadeloupe and puerto gaitán , length data collected in these collection centers were grouped into just one report to facilitate analysis and are herein designated upper meta river .
average capture size . 5411 records were analyzed to find variations in the distribution of average size in time and space . the historical record of the upper meta river from 1979 to 2011 was consulted , and in space the average size found in the different collection centers along the orinoco was used . to establish whether there were significant differences in size between the sexes as well as between and within yearly cycles and spatially , levene ' s test was applied to establish whether there was homoscedasticity variance for later parametric tests ( anova and tukey ) or nonparametric ( kruskall wallis and mann - whitney ) as appropriate , using the sigmaplot 11 ( jandel ) statistical package with α = 0 . 05 significance .
temporal analysis was based on records obtained in puerto lopez ( upper meta river ) in 30 years of follow - up work .
size at maturity . ls data for mature males and females were compared using the student t statistic test to establish whether there were significant differences between records of both sexes . the size of gonadal maturity was calculated for females ( n = 2372 ) and males ( n = 1821 ) , grouping data by quinquennium . at every quinquennium , 30 class marks were established and for each one an absolute , relative and accumulated frequency was estimated . the relative cumulative frequency was linearized ( tfra ) using the equation :
where gonadal maturity ( tmg ) is considered the size at 50 % , measurement that was used to make comparisons between quinquennium .
average capture size . in puerto lópez from 1979 - 2011 the average annual catch size was between 123 . 8±7 . 6 cm ls in 1991 and 83 . 4±29 . 2 cm in 2011 for females and between 93 . 3±22 in 1997 and 61±16 cm in 2011 in males . in figure 2 a gradual tendency to diminish in size can be observed in the average annual catch sizes of the males in comparison with the females ; in the first 15 years of records ( 1979 a 1993 ) the average difference in this parameter between the two sexes was 35 . 8±8 . 1cm , which decreased to 23 . 4±7 . 2 cm over the next 10 years ( 1994 - 2002 ) and finally reached 17 . 7±4 . 2 cm in the last seven years ( 2005 - 2011 ) . this behavior was due to a decrease over time of the average annual capture size of females .
within the hydrological cycle , the behavior of the average size of monthly catch ( tpcm ) in the upper meta river ( figure 3 ) was analyzed , and significant differences ( p < 0 . 05 ) were found in the size of females captured april to july ( between 113 and 124 cm ls ) with respect to the other months of the year ( between 74 and 102 cm ls ) . this dynamic was also observed in males for the months of may and june ( p < 0 . 05 ) , with significantly higher sizes ( between 75 and 109 cm ls ) than in the rest of the annual cycle ( between 62 and 73 cm ) . the season with largest sizes coincides with the breeding season of the species in the period of rising waters .
to analyze the spatial distribution of sizes between collection centers , total population records landed in each port in the years 2007 to 2011 were grouped together . when comparing the two ports of the meta river , puerto lopez at the top and puerto carreño at the bottom , no difference ( p > 0 . 05 ) in average monthly catch size was found ( figure 4 ) .
figure 4 . comparison of average monthly catch sizes in puerto lopez and puerto carreño ( 2007 , 2008 , 2010 , 2011 ) . in may there are no records in puerto carreño due to the closure period .
in contrast with the guaviare river , sizes of fish caught in san josé del guaviare ( upper part ) were significantly higher ( p < 0 . 05 ) than those in inírida ( lower part ) , as seen in figure 5 . the tpca of females in san josé del guaviare during the period studied was 102 . 9±26 . 8 cm ls and that of males 78 . 9±24 . 6 cm , while in inírida it was 59 . 5±8 . 8 cm in females and 68±9 . 1 cm in males .
figure 5 . monthly comparison of average catch sizes marketed in the upper guaviare river ( san jose ) and the lower area ( inírida ) . period : 2007 , 2008 , 2010 , 2011 .
in the upper meta river the reported data over 30 years was grouped and the tmg was estimated in quinquennium , as shown in figure 6 .
from 1979 - 1993 the tmg of females remained stable and above 119 cm ls , and from that year dropped ten centimeters to settle around 109 cm in 2006 - 2011 . in males the size at maturity was recorded at over 80 cm ls , but in the last five years decreased to 75 cm , which is normal behavior in commercially exploited fish stocks .
comparing the estimates of tmg of fish landed in the upper parts of the meta and guaviare rivers ( puerto lopez , last quinquennium , and san josé del guaviare ) , we observed that in the meta river this measurement was lower in females ( 108 . 8 cm ls ) and males ( 74 . 9 cm ) than in the group in the guaviare river where the tmg of females was 113 . 6 cm ls and that of males was 88 . 3 cm ( figure 7 ) .
in the period studied , the average annual catch size of females has been below the tmg over time ( figure 8 ) , accentuating the difference in the last five years . in males in the first five years the tpca analyzed was superior to tmg and in the following quinquenniums the dynamics were reversed ; however , the value of these two parameters was very close .
figure 8 . comparison of size at gonadal maturity and average catch size at five - year periods in the upper meta river .
at the head of the guaviare river the tpca of females ( 102 . 9 ± 26 . 8 cm ls ) is less than the tmg ( 108 . 8 cm ls ) , in males the tpca ( 78 . 9 ± 24 . 6 cm ls ) is lower than tmg ( 88 . 3 cm ) .
average catch sizes . the difference between the size of females and males found in this study is consistent with the report of sexual dimorphism indicating higher growth rates in females than in males ( 2 ) . females reach sizes of up to 165 cm ls and males 138 cm ( 2 ) , higher than those reported for river z . jahu in the cuaibá river ( paraguay river basin ) of 163 cm in length ( 10 ) . according to historical results found in this study , a progressive decrease is observed in the average size of captured females and males , with a sharp drop from 2005 to 2011 as a result of the inevitable effect that fisheries have when they remove larger or older fish from the population ( 11 - 13 ) .
also variations were observed in the average monthly catch size . larger sizes were found in the months corresponding to the reproductive period of the species , april to june ( 2 ) , when the nets select especially females due to increased circular perimeter because of enlarged gonads , increasing mortality for this population group , as has been described for other fisheries ( 14 ) .
size of gonadal maturity . the tmg of females has declined since 1994 - 1998 , a situation that increased from 2006 - 2011 ; tmg in males was higher than 80 cm ls , but in the last five years ( 2006 - 2011 ) it decreased significantly , suggesting that the effects of fishing , larger and older individuals are declining in population , resulting in early maturity of fish at smaller sizes , as has been reported in other fisheries ( 10 , 11 , 13 , 17 , 18 , 19 ) . this can also affect the reproductive period , as this tends to be wider seasonal and spatially with parental at older ages when compared to younger ( 13 ) .
the decrease in tmg adversely affects the rate of population growth by eliminating fish that have high reproductive value ( 11 , 19 ) , since size is affected by maternal size , as has been amply demonstrated , since longer and older females produce larger and stronger eggs and larvae , with a greater chance of survival than those of younger females ( 11 , 13 , 20 ) . reproduction at younger ages and smaller sizes reduces fertility ( 20 ) , resilience to environmental change ( 17 , 19 ) , and increases the sensitivity of larvae to climate variations , which increases sensitivity of recruitment to changes due to climate ( 13 ) .
spatial results also indicate that females and males of the upper guaviare river maintain a tmg greater than those recorded in the upper meta river . fishery in the upper guaviare river is relatively recent , since geographical isolation and public order problems have limited its development , in contrast to the more than 50 years of fishing tradition in the upper meta river . even so , the tmg of females in upper guaviare river is less than what the historical records indicate in the upper meta river in 2006 - 2011 , showing that as in meta , in that area high pressure is being exerted on fish specimens of larger size , the females .
it is clear that historically and spatially the tpca of females was lower than the tmg , which means that fishing pressure has been exerted on specimens that did not reach tmg , which is considered the optimum catch length , which suggests that overfishing relative to growth exists . additionally , the tpca is below the 10th percentile of the maturity curve in puerto lópez and in the 30th percentile in san josé del guaviare , which may result in the low numbers of this sex that can reproduce at least once before they are caught , jeopardizing the stability of the species in the basins of the meta and guaviare rivers .
2 . lasso ca , agudelo - córdoba e , jiménez - segura lf , ramírez - gil h , morales - betancourt m , ajiaco - martínez , et al ( editores . ) i . catálogo de los recursos pesqueros continentales de colombia . serie editorial recursos hidrobiológicos y pesqueros continentales de colombia . bogotá , d . c . , colombia : instituto de investigación de recursos biológicos alexander von humboldt ( iavh ) . 2011 ; 537 - 541 . [ links ]
3 . machado - allison a , bottini b . especies de la pesquería continental venezolana : un recurso natural en peligro . bol acad c fís mat y nat 2010 ; 70 ( 1 ) : 59 - 75 . [ links ]
4 . pérez - lozano a , barbarino a . parámetros poblacionales de los principales recursos pesqueros de la cuenca del río apure , venezuela ( 2000 - 2003 ) . lat am j aquat res 2013 ; 41 ( 3 ) : 447 - 458 . [ links ]
5 . agostinho aa , pelicice fm , gomes lc . dams and the fish fauna of the neotropical region : impacts and management related to diversity and fisheries . braz j biol 2008 ; 68 ( 4 ) : 1119 - 1132 . [ links ]
6 . godinho al , reis i , godinho h . reproductive ecology of brazilian freshwater fishes . environ biol fish 2010 ; 87 : 143 - 162 . [ links ]
7 . maldonado - ocampo ja , vari rp , usma js . checklist of the freshwater fishes of colombia . biota colombiana 2008 ; 9 ( 2 ) : 143 - 237 . [ links ]
8 . lasso c , usma js , villa f , sierra - quintero mt , ortega - lara a , mesa lm , et al . peces de la estrella fluvial inírida : ríos guaviare , inírida , atabapo y orinoco , orinoquía colombiana . biota colombiana 2009 ; 10 ( 1 - 2 ) : 89 - 122 . [ links ]
9 . mojica ji , usma js , alvarez - león r , lasso ca ( editores ) . libro rojo de peces dulceacuícolas de colombia . bogotá , d . c . , colombia : instituto de investigación de recursos biológicos alexander von humboldt , instituto de ciencias naturales de la universidad nacional de colombia , wwf colombia , universidad de manizales . 2012 ; 192 - 195 . [ links ]
10 . mateus laf , penha jmf . dinâmica populacional de quatro espécies de grandes bagres na bacia do rio cuiabá , pantanal norte , brasil ( siluriformes , pimelodidae ) . rev bras zool 2007 ; 24 ( 1 ) : 87 - 98 . [ links ]
11 . fenberg p , roy k . ecological and evolutionary consequences of size - selective harvesting : how much do we know ? mol ecol 2008 ; 17 : 209 - 220 . [ links ]
12 . longhurst a . the sustainability myth . fish res 2006 ; 81 : 107 - 112 . [ links ]
13 . perry ri , cury p , brander k , jennings s , möllmann c , planque b . sensitivity of marine systems to climate and fishing : concepts , issues and management responses . j mar syst 2010 ; 79 ( 3 ) : 427 - 435 . [ links ]
14 . rijnsdorp ad , grift re , kraak sbm . fisheries - induced adaptive change in reproductive investment in north sea plaice ( pleuronectes platessa ) ? can j fish aquat sci 2005 ; 62 ( 4 ) : 833 - 843 . [ links ]
15 . enberg k , jørgensen c , dunlop e , varpe o , boukal d , baulier l et al . fishing - induced evolution of growth : concepts , mechanisms and the empirical evidence . mar ecol 2012 ; 33 : 1 - 25 . [ links ]
17 . jørgensen c , enberg k , dunlop es , arlinghaus r , boukal ds , brander k , et al . ecology - managing evolving fish stocks . science 2007 ; 318 ( 5854 ) : 1247 - 1248 . [ links ]
18 . heino m , baulier l , boukal ds , ernande b , johnston fd , mollet fm et al . can fisheries - induced evolution shift reference points for fisheries management ? ices j mar sci 2013 ; 70 : 707 - 721 . [ links ]
19 . laugen at , engelhard gh , whitlock r , arlinghaus r , dankel dj , dunlop es et al . evolutionary impact assessment : accounting for evolutionary consequences of fishing in an ecosystem approach to fisheries management . fish fish 2014 ; 15 : 65 - 96 . [ links ]
20 . venturelli pa , shuter bj , murphy ca . evidence for harvest - induced maternal influences on the reproductive rates of fish populations . proc biol sci 2009 ; 276 ( 1658 ) : 919 - 924 . [ links ]
ciudad universitaria , montería , córdoba , colombia carrera 6 no . 76 - 103 mvz @ urltoken teléfonos : ( 57 ) ( 4 ) 7560209 / 8940507 / 7560710 . revistamvz @ urltoken
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mylochromis mola ( mola hap ) is a species of cichlid endemic to lake malawi .

this species can reach a length of 18 centimetres ( 7.1 in ) tl .

this species can also be found in the aquarium trade .

mylochromis mola

mylochromis sp . ' mollis likoma ' and metriaclima sp . ' aurora bevous ' at chizumulu .
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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 .
gland , switzerland , 5 july 2018 ( iucn ) – australia’s unique reptiles – including lizards and snakes – face severe threats from invasive species and climate change , with 7 % of th . . .
the value of medicinal and aromatic plant trade has increased three - fold in the past 20 years , but traditional harvesting practices are being replaced by less sustainable alternatives . . . .
a recently released iucn technical brief recommends increasing investments in sustainable land management practices , as well as better cooperation between agriculturalists and conservationists to conse . . .
snoeks , j . ( freshwater fish red list authority ) & darwall , w . ( freshwater biodiversity assessment programme )
justification : endemic to lake malawi where it is common throughout the lakeshore . it has no known major widespread threats .
endemic to lake malawi . a common species that occurs all around the lake .
occurs in the sandy or intermediate habitat at an average depth of about 10 m . it feeds on molluscs from the sand . males in breeding colouration occur throughout the year . territorial males defend a small area in the intermediate habitat among some rocks ( it does not construct a nest ) . known as
haplochromis trianodon
in the aquarium trade . max . size : 17 cm .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
greek , mylo = mill + greek , chromis = a fish without identification , perhaps a perch ( ref . 45335 )
africa : endemic to lake malawi . occurs in the west coast of the southeast arm of and northern part of the lake .
maturity : l m ? range ? - ? cm max length : 18 . 0 cm tl male / unsexed ; ( ref . 4986 )
inhabits shallow water off sandy beaches and feeds on mollusks ( ref . 267 ) .
maréchal , c . , 1991 . maravichromis . p . 252 - 257 . in j . daget , j . - p . gosse , g . g . teugels and d . f . e . thys van den audenaerde ( eds . ) check - list of the freshwater fishes of africa ( cloffa ) . isnb , brussels ; mrac , tervuren ; and orstom , paris . vol . 4 . ( ref . 4986 )
phylogenetic diversity index ( ref . 82805 ) : pd 50 = 0 . 5000 [ uniqueness , from 0 . 5 = low to 2 . 0 = high ] .
bayesian length - weight : a = 0 . 01514 ( 0 . 00700 - 0 . 03275 ) , b = 2 . 97 ( 2 . 80 - 3 . 14 ) , in cm total length , based on lwr estimates for this ( sub ) family - body shape ( ref . 93245 ) .
trophic level ( ref . 69278 ) : 3 . 6 ±0 . 50 se ; based on food items .
resilience ( ref . 69278 ) : high , minimum population doubling time less than 15 months ( preliminary k or fecundity . ) .
vulnerability ( ref . 59153 ) : low vulnerability ( 21 of 100 ) .
new fish have been released . . . . and where will all my new fish go ? a clue near the end
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format summary genbank genbank ( full ) asn . 1 xml insdseq xml feature table accession list gi list gff3
this entry is the master record for a targeted locus set and contains no sequence data .
finds sub - sequences or patterns in the sequence and highlights the matching regions . the tool works with standard single letter nucleotide or protein codes including ambiguities and can match prosite patterns in protein sequences . more . . .
finds sub - sequence or patterns in the sequence and highlights the matching region . the tool works with standard single letter nucleotide or protein codes including ambiguities and can match prosite patterns in protein sequences . more . . .