Synodontis afrofischeri
| Fischer's Victoria squeaker | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Mochokidae |
| Genus: | Synodontis |
| Species: | S. afrofischeri
|
| Binomial name | |
| Synodontis afrofischeri Hilgendorf, 1888
| |
Synodontis afrofischeri, known as Fischer's Victoria squeaker,[1] the marbled Victoria squeaker,[1] Fischer's catfish,[2] or the Victoria synodontis,[3] is a species of upside-down catfish native to Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.[1] It was first described by German zoologist Franz Martin Hilgendorf in 1888, based upon a holotype discovered in Lake Victoria.[3] The specific name "afrofischeri" is in honor of the German researcher Dr. Gustav Fischer, a German explorer of Africa.[3]
Description
The body of the fish is a marbled yellowish brown, although the amount of marbling varies between individuals, with some a uniform brown.[1] The fish has a dark to black band that traverses from the eye to the mouth, and two irregular light vertical bands on either side of the adipose fin.[3] Juveniles have a very similar appearance to juvenile S. fuelleborni juveniles.[3]
Like other members of the genus, this fish has a humeral process, which is a bony spike that is attached to a hardened head cap on the fish and can be seen extending beyond the gill opening.[3] The first ray of the dorsal fin and the pectoral fins have a hardened first ray which is serrated.[3] The caudal fin is forked.[3] It has short, cone-shaped teeth in the upper jaw.[3] In the lower jaw, the teeth are s-shaped and movable.[3] The fish has one pair of maxillary barbels of varying length, extending far beyond the operculum, and two pairs of mandibular barbels that are often branched.[1][3]
This species grows to a maximum known length of 17.7 centimetres (7.0 in) TL [1][3]
Habitat
In the wild, the species inhabits tropical waters with a temperature range of 22 to 26 °C (72 to 79 °F), a pH of 6.0 – 8.0, and dH range of 5-25.[1] It is found at depths ranging from 0 to 70 metres (0 to 230 ft), usually 30 metres (98 ft).[1] It is found in Lake Victoria, Lake Nagubago, the Victoria Nile, Lake Kyoga, the Kagera River, Lake Ihema, the Malagarasi River and possibly in the Kingani River.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2016). "Synodontis afrofischeri" in FishBase. June 2016 version.
- ^ "Synodontis afrofischeri Hilgendorf, 1888". scotcat.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Synodontis afrofischeri Hilgendorf, 1888". Planet Catfish. 19 Jul 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ Hanssens, M. (2006). "Synodontis afrofischeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
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External links
Data related to Synodontis afrofischeri at Wikispecies