Upsidedown catfish
Synodontis batensoda
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The giant upside-down catfish lives from West Africa to Ethiopia — Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Lake Chad and the Nile — in slow waters and marshes along large rivers. It swims belly-up, hence its dark belly. Omnivorous, it eats plankton, algae, detritus and small animals. It is usually about 25 centimetres, with a maximum of 50.
- Scientific name
- Synodontis batensoda
- Family
- Mochokidae
Fact sheet
General
- Water
- Freshwater
- Group
- Fish
Taxonomy
- Family
- Mochokidae
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Synonyms
- Brachysynodontis batensoda, Hemisynodontis membranaceus, Synodontis melanogaster, Synodontis membranaceus
Origin
- Native region
- África
Water
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
Size and lifespan
- Adult size
- 28.6 cm
Behavior
- Swimming level
- Middle
Reproduction
- Breeding strategy
- Egg scatterer
Conservation and trade
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
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