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[i}Practical Fishkeeping magazine in the UK has just revealed that scientists have undertaken a revision of the Genus Synodontis in Lake Tanganyika. In the process, they have discovered three new species!

The checklist for valid species now looks like this:

[1] Existing (Described) Species:

Synodontis dhonti
Synodontis granulosus
Synodontis irsacae
Synodontis melanostictus
Synodontis multipunctatus (Cuckoo Catfish)
Synodontis petricola
Synodontis polli
Synodontis tanganaicae

[2] New Species:

Synodontis grandiops
Synodontis ilebrevis
Synodontis lucipinnis

The article goes on to describe the new species in question. For example, Synodontis grandiops resembles the more familiar multipunctatus, but stays smaller (max length 6 inches), and has a visibly larger eye (hence the specific name grandiops). Meanwhile, Synodontis lucipinnis is cited as being the fish that is currently sold in the trade as 'Dwarf Petricola', and is difficult to tell apart from the true petricola by visual inspection alone, other than the fact that adult petricola grow to be considerably larger. Synodontis ilebrevis is another 'lookalike' species, strongly resembling Synodontis polli and again difficult to distinguish by visual inspection (the most reliable characteristics require dissection to determine).

The paper in question in which the new species are described is:

Wright, JJ and LM Page (2006) Taxonomic revision of Lake Taganyikan Synodontis (Siluriformes: Mochokidae). Florida Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 46(4):99-154.

So, anyone looking for a catfish for a Tanganyikan aquarium, you now have three new species to choose from, and the bonus is that ALL the newly described species are smaller than the familiar ones ...


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

These fish have been known in the hobby for some time, probably a good two years or so, under locality names. It's nice to know that they're finally stepping up in regards to classification.