All fish / Mochokidae

Cuckoo Catfish

Synodontis multipunctatus

Also known as cuckoo synodontis, multi-spotted synodontis, multipunctatus catfish, many-spotted synodontis, cuckoo squeaker, synodontis multipunctata, シノドンティス・ムルティプンクタートゥス, 杜鹃鲶, 多点歧须鮠

A cream to yellowish squeaker catfish covered in bold black spots, with white-edged black fins and long white-tipped barbels. It is kept for its striking looks and its unusual brood parasite behaviour, and it is more active by day than most Synodontis when kept in a group.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

7.5 to 9

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Omnivore: sinking pellets, catfish tablets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and mysis, plus some vegetable matter

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Zambia)

Breeding

It is a brood parasite: the catfish slip their eggs among those of spawning mouthbrooding cichlids, and the young hatch first in the cichlid's mouth and eat the host's eggs. It breeds fairly readily in a Tanganyikan or Malawi cichlid tank, but needs suitable mouthbrooding hosts.

Good to know

Needs hard, alkaline water and suits rift lake cichlid set-ups, but it will eat small fish and may spoil cichlid broods. It is often confused with Synodontis lucipinnis and with hybrids, which are smaller or differently patterned.