Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Mochokidae (Squeakers or upside-down catfishes) > Mochokinae
Etymology: Synodontis: Greek, syn, symphysis = grown together + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Poll.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Africa: Konkouré, Great Scarcies/Kolenté, Little Scarcies and Pampana/Jong rivers in Guinea and Sierra Leone (Ref. 7362, 57223). Also reported from the Rokel River in Sierra Leone (Ref. 13331, 57223).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 22.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57223)
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: gill slits not extending ventrally beyond pectoral-fin insertions; post-orbital length at most 60% of snout length; maxillary barbels broadly fringed, shorter than head, unbranched and without tubercles, but with a broad, dark brown basal membrane; outer mandibular barbels with few, short and thick ramifications; branches of inner mandibular barbels more numerous, short, subdivided and tuberculate; width of premaxillary tooth plate comprised at least twice in eye diameter; mandibular teeth rather short, numbering 19-37 (29 in the holotype); dorsal-fin spine smooth on anterior margin; humeral process small and triangular, not distinctly keeled, but nevertheless swollen ventrally; adipose fin rather long, but very low and distinctly separated from rayed dorsal fin; coloration very dark, caudal fin lobes not black edged (Ref. 57223).
Coloration: body more or less uniformly blackish on back and sides, ventral areas light; fins dark brown (Ref. 57223).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Oviparous (Ref. 205). Distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).
Paugy, D. and T.R. Roberts, 2003. Mochokidae. p. 195-268 In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douce et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Tome 2. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 40. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique, Museum National d'Histoire Naturalle, Paris, France and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris, France. 815 p. (Ref. 57223)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00933 (0.00303 - 0.02871), b=3.05 (2.80 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.9 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (18 of 100).
