All fish / Mochokidae

Ornate Synodontis

Synodontis ornatissimus

Also known as ornate squeaker, ornate upside-down catfish, ornatissimus catfish, ornate synodontis catfish, squeaker catfish, シノドンティス・オルナティッシムス, 华丽向导鲶

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A slender Congo squeaker catfish with a pale cream to grey body marked with dark spots and bars, plus long, filamentous dorsal and caudal fin tips. It is kept for its striking pattern and its active, characterful behaviour after dark, making it a good bottom dweller in larger community tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

14 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

6.2 to 7.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

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

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Central Africa: Congo River basin (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Breeding

There are no reliable reports of it spawning in home aquariums. Fish in the trade are usually caught in the wild.

Good to know

It can quarrel with other Synodontis and bottom dwellers over caves, and may eat very small fish at night. The sharp spines on its dorsal and pectoral fins easily snag in nets, and the cheaper Synodontis decorus or S. eupterus are sometimes sold under its name.