All fish / Mochokidae

Synodontis nummifer

Synodontis nummifer

Also known as spotted squeaker, nummifer catfish, synodontis numifer, upside-down coin catfish, シノドンティス・ヌミファー

A Congo basin squeaker catfish with a pale to brownish body marked by a few large, dark round spots, a forked tail and three pairs of barbels. It is kept for its distinctive spotting and its hardy, mostly nocturnal scavenging behaviour.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

14 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or a group of 3 or more in a large tank

Diet

Omnivore: sinking pellets, wafers, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, some vegetable matter

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Congo River basin (DR Congo, Republic of the Congo)

Breeding

Not reliably bred in home aquariums; many members of the genus are only produced commercially with hormone injection. Most specimens in the trade are wild caught.

Good to know

Can bicker with its own kind and may eat very small fish at night, so keep with robust tankmates and provide caves. Rarely traded and sometimes confused with other spotted Synodontis species.