SCOTCAT.COM  

your internet guide to all things catfish
≡
  • HOME
  • FACTSHEETS
    • By Month/Year
    • By Family
    • by Genus
    • by Common Names
    • By Specific Names
    • By Continent
      • Index
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australasia
      • Europe
      • North America
      • South America
  • GALLERIES
    • Photo Gallery
    • Art Gallery
    • Movie Gallery
    • Stamps Gallery
  • FAMILIES
    • A-B
      • Ailiidae
      • Akysidae
      • Amblycipitidae
      • Amphiliidae
      • Anchariidae
      • Ariidae
      • Aspredinidae
      • Astroblepidae
      • Auchenipteridae
      • Austroglanididae
      • Bagridae
    • C-D
      • Callichthyidae
      • Cetopsidae
      • Chacidae
      • Clariidae
      • Claroteidae
      • Cranoglanididae
      • Diplomystidae
      • Doradidae
    • E-H
      • Erithistidae
      • Heptapteridae
      • Heteropneustidae
      • Horabagridae
    • I-M
      • Ictaluridae
      • Lacantuniidae
      • Loricariidae
      • Malapteruridae
      • Mochokidae
    • N-P
      • Nematogenyidae
      • Pangasiidae
      • Phreatobiidae
      • Pimelodidae
      • Plotosidae
      • Pseudopimelodidae
    • S-T
      • Schilbeidae
      • Scoloplacidae
      • Siluridae
      • Sisoridae
      • Trichomycteridae
  • ARTICLES
    • Index
    • Breeding
    • By Author
    • Cat-Articles
    • General
    • Numbered List
    • Ichthyology
    • Travel/Collecting
  • IDENT-A-CAT
  • RESOURCES
    • Citation
    • Etymology
    • Fishhouse
    • Glossary
    • Scientific Papers
    • ScotShop
  • SITE MAP
  • FB GROUP
  • HELP
    • Index
    • Catfish Anatomy
    • Convertors
    • FAQ
    • Ident-A-Cat
    • Water Chemistry

FACTSHEETS: December 2000 - no. 054

Synodontis decorus Boulenger, 1899


he ‘Clown Catfish’ although it grows large is, in my book, the original gentle giant. It does well in an aquarium environment but do bear in mind that if you have purchased it as a juvenile and it is placed in a small tank you will certainly have to move it, as it grows, to a larger tank for the benefit of the fish itself, and of course the enjoyment of its owner.

 

Synodontis decorus

Synodontis decorus

 

Talking of enjoyment, you will need to be patient as this fish is extremely nocturnal as an adult and is one of the shyest Syno's around. Regular contributor to the monthly factsheets, Linday Dobree-Carey, tells me that her decorus (Charlie) shares its home, a plastic pipe, with one of three large Clown Loaches (Botia macracantha) and they follow each other around which she thinks makes ‘Charlie’ feel more secure.

The unusual trait of this Synodontis is the long extension of the dorsal fin which can reach as far back as its caudal fin and along with its attractive body colouration makes it one of the most popular catfish of the genus, Synodontis.

The image below shows Lindsay's pair of clowns! Clown Catfish to the top and the Clown Loach on the bottom bunk. Lindsay explains her feeding routine below.

 

Clown Catfish & Clown Loach

Clown Catfish and Clown Loach

 

“At night I have a ‘Moonglow’ lamp which cuts in for a few hours in the evening and this gives Charlie a chance to pop out and do the rounds without him being disturbed by the bright light. Even so, I tend to feed them about 10.00 pm and they have cottoned onto the ‘feed time’ and Charlie is looking out of his pipe any time from 9.30 onwards, any other time you wouldn't think he was there, unless you occasionally look at the end of the pipe”

 

The picture above shows the ramifications (filaments) on the maxillary as well as the mandibular barbels which is unusual in the Synodontis genus.

 

The image above shows the ramifications (filaments) on the maxillary as well as the mandibular barbels which is unusual in the Synodontis genus.

The genus Synodontis sports three pairs of barbels 1pair: maxillary, 1 pair: outer mandibular and one pair of inner mandibular barbels that are branched (filaments). There are only three species that have filaments on their maxillary barbels as well as the mandibular, and they are, S. clarias, S. decorus and S. flavitaeniatiatus.

Acknowledgement:  Thanks to Lindsay Dobree-Carey for her input and photos and also to Czech aquarist Jiri Pistil for his photograph of the head area and barbels.

 

Common Name

Clown Catfish

Synonyms

Synodontis labeo, Synodontis vittatus

Family

Mochokidae

Subfamily

Mochocinae

Distribution

Africa: Democratic Rep.of the Congo. Congo basin except Luapula River system.

Size

25.0cm (10ins)

Temp.

22-27°C (71-81°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.5.

Characteristics

Head and body compressed. Three pairs of barbels, maxillary barbels with a small membrane at the base and small slender ramifications larger than on maxillary barbels. Dorsal fin spine smooth anteriorly and posteriorly occasionally with between 2-5 serrations at the filament. Pectoral fin spine smooth on outer edge, inner edge serrated, but not at the base, and ends in a short filament. Caudal fin deeply forked with each lobe forming a point. Head shield pitted.

Colouration

Base colour creamy white with large black spots and blotches scattered over body. Ventral region white. Dorsal, caudal, anal and ventral fins with black transverse bands.

Aquarium Care & Compatibility

You will have to choose its tankmates carefully as small characins will be viewed as lunch to an adult decorus on its night-time foraging but a good addition to a large community tank.

Reproduction

No information on the breeding of this species but males are reported to be smaller and darker coloured than the females.

Diet

In their native habitat they live on invertebrates, small fishes and crustaceans.In the aquarium they will take a wide range of foods bearing in mind that it might be better to feed at night to make sure that they get their fair share in a community tank. They will accept live food, frozen food (bloodworm) tablet foods and a good quality flake food.

Etymology

Synodontis: Syn = together; odontis =  teeth (fused tooth plates).
decorus: Elegant; decorative; becoming.

References

Catfish Association of Great Britain; Volume 1.
Dobree-Carey, Lindsay. pers. comm.
Riehl, R. and H.A. Baensch 1991 Aquarien Atlas. Band. 1. Melle: Mergus, Verlag für Natur- und Heimtierkunde, Germany. 992 p.
Sands, David; Back to Nature Guide to Catfishes. 1996. p. 62-63. 128 p.

Photo Credits

Top image: ©  Hippocampus Bildarchiv
Middle image: ©  Lindsay Dobree-Carey. 
   
Bottom image: ©  Jiri Plistil @
www.akvarium.cz

Donate towards my web hosting bill!

If you would like to contribute to the monthly factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail me. You will of course be credited for your work.

If you would like to donate any denomination of money to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few years yet.

 

ScotCat Sources

Etymology = Genus Etymology-genera

Etymology = Species Etymology-specific name

 

Other Sources

Search  Search

FishBase Fishbase

Wikipedia Wikipedia

Catalog of Fishes Catalog of Fishes

Global Biodiversity Information Facility GBIF

FishNet2 Fishnet2

iNaturalist iNaturalist

  • Facebook about us + contact us + citation + translate + site map + scotshop + glossary + etymology +
  • help YouTube

©2023 SCOTCAT.COM