his Synodontis is not very common in imports but is certainly one of the nicest marked specimens from the Synodontis genus.The base colour can vary from having a yellow background with dark brown markings to a more duller brown base colour.

David Sands noted in his Catfishes of the World Vol.2 that the colour changes can be brought upon by the colour of the substrate, the lighter the substrate, the lighter and better colour will show on the body of S. waterloti. Poll noted that the pectoral spines are highly serrated on the front edge and this character could be individual to this species. I find that a good method of identification are the spots on the head area which also reside on the head shield and to the beginning of the humeral process, (the part of the head shield that projects back just above the pectoral fins).

Male specimen showing breeding tube

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. flavitaeniatus.