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Hippocampus Bildarchiv (2) SAIAB (1)

Habitat: Found in the middle Zambezi River basin, as well as the Pungwe River and Buzi River. It inhabits rivers and floodplains, favoring floodplains, but does not occur in rocky areas. Description: Like all members of the genus Synodontis, S. nebulosus has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. The head contains a distinct narrow, bony, external protrusion called a humeral process. The shape and size of the humeral process help to identify the species. In S. nebulosus, the humeral process is as broad as it is wide, with a pointed back end. All members of Synodontis have a structure called a premaxillary toothpad, which is located on the very front of the upper jaw of the mouth. This structure contains several rows of short, chisel-shaped teeth. In S. nebulosus, the toothpad forms a short and broad band. On the lower jaw, or mandible, the teeth of Synodontis are attached to flexible, stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked". The number of teeth on the mandible is used to differentiate between species; in S. nebulosus, there are about 18 teeth on the mandible. Colouration: The base body colour is yellowish green, with ill-defined, irregular brown to black spots. The underside of the fish is yellowish white. The fins are yellowish green with black spots. Reproduction: The reproductive habits of most of the species of Synodontis are not known, beyond some instances of obtaining egg counts from gravid females. Spawning likely occurs during the flooding season between July and October, and pairs swim in unison during spawning. The growth rate is rapid in the first year, then slows down as the fish age. Diet: As a whole, species of Synodontis are omnivores, consuming insect larvae, algae, gastropods, bivalves, sponges, crustaceans, and the eggs of other fishes.

Cloudy squeaker

Leiosynodontis nebulosus

Mochokidae

Africa: Zambezi basin, middle and lower part. Type locality: Tette [Zambezi River, Mozambique].

15.0cm. (6ins)

23-26°C (73-79°F)

6.5-7.2.

H. M. Bishai & Y. B. Abu Gideiri (1965). "Studies on the biology of genus Synodontis at Khartoum". Hydrobiologia. 26 (1–2): 85–97.
Boulenger, George Albert (1909). Catalogue of the fresh-water fishes of Africa in the British museum (Natural history). London: British Museum. pp. 423–424.
Skelton, P.H. 1993 A complete guide to the freshwater fishes of southern Africa. Southern Book Publishers. 388 p.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2011. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version.