S. schall is regarded as the 'bad boy' of the genus in aquarium circles. It is randomly aggressive and not particularly attractive. It is often confused with other similar species of Synodontis such as S. budgetti or S. clarias but can be distinguished by the length of thewhich, in this species, is very long and runs from just past the base of the to just before the caudal fin.

It is an important food fish in some of its native countries….

S. robbianus is often confused with the similar but larger S. nigrita. They can be distinguished by the brownish base colour of this species as opposed to the greyer patterning exhibited by S. nigrita. It is also similar to several other Syno species, especially when juvenile.

A hardy, adaptable species ideal for the newcomer to Synodontis but not often seen for sale….

S. pleurops is a very nocturnal species and unless the light in the aquarium is dim will rarely be seen. It is also very distinctive and is hard to confuse with other species. It has very large eyes and a downturned mouth, denoting its algae grazing habits. It will rarely venture into open water in the aquarium, preferring to hug the surface of pieces of driftwood, rocks and broad plant leaves. The colouration and patterning can vary considerably depending on type locality….

S. ocellifer is often confused with other similar species of Synodontis but can be distinguished by the length of thewhich in this species is very long and runs from just past the base of the to just before the caudal fin.

In recent years many alarming hybrids of this species have been appearing on the market and these should be avoided in our opinion. Besides being attractively marked this is one of the hardiest Synos available and is a good choice for the beginner….

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…

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…

One of the commonest Synos seen for sale, S. nigriventris is occasionally confused with S. contractus. However, on close inspection the species are easy to tell apart as S. nigriventris lacks the large head and mouth and larger eye of S. contractus.

The scientific name nigriventris refers to the fact that the belly of this fish is darker than the dorsal area. This is a form of camouflage, making the fish harder to spot by predators above, such as predatory fish, birds etc. It is a basic re…

Also known as the Domino Synodontis or the One-spot Squeaker, several regional variants of S. notata are known, some of which have 3, 6 or 12 spots and others none at all. Some of these are seen for sale under the invalid name S. ocellata. It is also often imported with similar species such as S. nummifer or S.congica. These are usually then all sold as notata.

S. notata is more active during the day than many Syno species and therefore makes a good addition to aquariums with more boisterous…