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Synodontis njassae Keilhack, 1908

Image contributors to this species:

Allan James (1) Danny Blundell (1) Michael K. Oliver (1) Benoit Jonas (2) Sam Nelson (1) Submerged (1)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Because of its bony head, this species is often not marketed in Malawi where it is relatively common and considered a favoured food of fishermen. Marketed in Kyela. The penultamate thumbnail image specimen was captured at Senga Bay on the south west coast of Lake Malawi on the Malawian side. Habitat: Found among the rocks in the lake during the day and moves around the area at night. Colouration: There are a few different colour patterns going from light grey-brown to whitish to coppery. The black/brown spots can also be small or large. A good identification is the rather small adipose fin and blunt nose. Aquarium Care: Can be housed with Malawi cichlids from the lake as the higher p.H. values will favour this setup. Diet: Feeds on insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates. Oviparous. Etymology: The specific name njassae: Of Lake Nyasa (called Njassasee by European colonial rulers), Tanzanian name (meaning “great water”) for Lake Malawi, where it is endemic.

Common Name:

Malawi squeaker

Synonyms:

Synodontis zambesensis

Family:

Mochokidae

Distribution:

Africa: Lake Malawi

Size:

15.5cm. (6¼ins)

Temp:

20-23°C (67-73°F)

p.H.

7.5-8.2.

IUCN Red List

This species is endemic to Lake Malawi and its larger rivers where it is widespread and abundant throughout a great depth and geographic range and has no known threats. It is therefore assessed as Least Concern. A second species may be present in what is now called Synodontis njassae (Snoeks 2004), but further research is necessary to confirm this (IUCN 2019).

Reference:

Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl 1985 Aquarien atlas. Band 2. Mergus, Verlag für Natur- und Heimtierkunde GmbH, Melle, Germany. 1216 p.
ScotCat Article: Synodontis njassae Keilhack, 1908 by Michael K. Oliver PH.D.
Seegers, L. 2008 The catfishes of Africa. A handbook for identification and maintenance. Aqualog Verlag A.C.S. GmbH, Germany. 604 p.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.
Tweddle, D., Konings, A., Kaunda, E., Kazembe, J. & Magombo, Z.L.K. 2019. Synodontis njassae (amended version of 2018 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019.

Family: Mochokidae Back to Ident-A-Cat Click on Thumbnails

Synodontis njassae

Synodontis njassae
Specimens with small, medium, and large spots, collected by Geoffrey Fryer in the vicinity of Nkhata Bay and sent to the British Museum (Natural History) in 1957.

Synodontis njassae

Synodontis njassae
Collected at Senga Bay

Synodontis njassae
Lion's Cove-25m deep

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