This is an uncommonly imported Syno that is nevertheless very attractive. It has distinctive serrated edges to the pectoral fins and will exhibit its strongest colouration over a light coloured substrate….

Like other members of the family Notopteridae this species differs from Gymnotiform knifefish in that its anal and caudal fins are fused together into one long, undulating fin running along the underside of the fish. There is only one other species in the genus. P. congoensis is a smaller, plain brown coloured fish found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is very rare in the hobby.
P. afer is also infrequently imported and is one of the rarer knifefish species in the hobby. It can dev…

Originally classified in the genus Notopterus and reclassified in 1984, this is now the only described species of Xenomystus and has several interesting characteristics. Its swim bladder is specially adapted to act as an accessory breathing organ in a similar fashion to Polypteriids. It must rise to the surface to take a gulp of air periodically, often emitting a bell-like sound as it does so.

X. nigri is often confused with the similar looking but far more aggressive Asian knifefish, Notopt…

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua…

There are currently over 180 described species of Corydoras (commonly shortened to "cory"), making it one of the most speciose of all South American fish genera. There are also loads of undescribed species, many of which have been assigned a "C number" for identification purposes. This is a very simple system of numbering and is similar to the L number scheme used to identify undescribed Loricariids. Both systems were implemented by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aqua…

Corydoras are members of the armoured catfish family. The genus name means "helmet skin" and the fish live up to this name as they are rather tough little fish. They also have spines in the leading rays of the pectoral fins to deter larger predators from eating them. Corydoras are sometimes observed taking a gulp of air at the water surface: this is because they can absorb oxygen through their gut. It is not known why cories do this even on oxygen rich waters.

Along with the bronze …

This species is infrequently offered for sale but makes an attractive addition to the medium sized community aquarium.

An attractively patterned, infrequently imported Syno that deserves more popularity in the hobby. It is occasionally confused with S. schoutedeni, which it superficially resembles.

In our opinion, this is one of the most attractively marked Synos commonly available in the hobby. The colour and patterning can vary considerably and the vermiculated pattern seems to intensify with age in well kept fish. When taken into consideration with its moderate adult size, this is an ideal beginners's Syno. One point worth noting is that this species seems very susceptible to bloating. While the cause of this is unknown, we suggest that feeding of dried foods be kept to a minimum.
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This is one of the species of Synodontis seen less frequently in the trade and it ranks alongside S. schall as one of the more aggressive members of the genus. It is very hardy however and makes a good tankmate for large aggressive cichlid species.

One unique characteristic of S. acanthomias is that the humeral process (the bony extension just above the pectoral fins) is long and tapered with a curved end….