Synodontis melanostictus

Like all members of the genus Synodontis, S. melanostictus has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. The head is about 1⁄4 of the standard length of the fish. The head contains a distinct narrow, bony, external protrusion called a humeral process. The shape and size of the humeral process helps to identify the species. In S. melanostictus, the humeral process is triangular, wide at the base and tapering to a sharp point, with a poorly defined ridge on the bottom edge, and becoming rough on the upper edge. The top edge is slightly concave. The total length of the humoral process is about two thirds of the length of the head. The diameter of the eye is about 1⁄7 of the length of the head. The fish has three pairs of barbels. The maxillary barbels are on located on the upper jaw, and two pairs of mandibular barbels are on the lower jaw. The maxillary barbel has a narrow membrane attached near the base and is straight without any branches. It extends at least as far as the base of the pectoral fin, about as long as the 3⁄10 to 4⁄10 as long as the body. The outer pair of mandibular barbels extends just past the front of the pectoral girdle, about as long as head, and contains seven to eight, long branches, with short secondary branches present. …

In the wild, the species is endemic to Lake Tanganyika, which has an observed temperature range of 22 to 26 °C (72 to 79 °F), an approximate pH of 8.5 – 9, and dH range of 4-15. It inhabits littoral to benthic zones over shell, sand, and mud bottoms, to a maximum depth of 150 metres (490 ft). The reproductive habits of most of the species of Synodontis are not known, beyond one report that found gravid females containing over 3,000 eggs. Spawning likely occurs during the flooding season between July and October, and pairs swim in unison during spawning. As a whole, species of Synodontis are omnivores, consuming insect larvae, algae, gastropods, bivalves, sponges, crustaceans, and the eggs of other fishes. The growth rate is rapid in the first year, then slows down as the fish age.