Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pygmy leopard catfish
Synodontis petricola
13 cm
Adult size
100 L
Minimum volume
4
Minimum group
8 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Synodontis
- Diet
- omnivore
- Social life
- small group
In the wild
Overview
This small black Synodontis with white polka dots and white-edged fins is highly recommended for Tanganyikan cichlid tanks. There is a dwarf form, very adaptable regarding water quality, which can even live in a South American tank.
- Scientific name
- Synodontis petricola Matthes, 1959
- Classification
- Siluriformes › Mochokidae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Endemic to Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Zambia)
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It lives among the rocks of the lake.
Behaviour
It should not live with fish small enough to be eaten, but it complements a tank of hard-water cichlids well, ideally mouthbrooders from the African lakes, or rainbowfish and livebearers of suitable size. Keep it in a group of 4 or more, as a lone fish often stays hidden. An undemanding omnivore: live, frozen and dry foods, and plant matter.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth