Poll's Synodontis

Like all members of the genus Synodontis, S. polli has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. The head is about 3⁄10 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. polli, the humeral process is wide, triangular, and rough in appearance, with a poorly defined ridge on the bottom edge. The top edge is convex and the end is sharply pointed. It is about 1⁄2 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 2⁄3 as long as the head. The outer pair of mandibular barbels extends just short of the pectoral girdle, about 1⁄2 of the length of the head, and contains four to five branches without secondary branches. The inner pair of mandibular barbels is about 1⁄2 to 2⁄3 as long as the outer pair, about 1⁄4 of the length of the head, with three to five branches, with many secondary branches present. The skin of S. …

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. The fish inhabits rocky coasts in the littoral, and has been found at depths of up to 20 metres (66 ft). The reproductive habits of most of the species of Synodontis are not known, beyond some instances of obtaining egg counts from gravid females. Spawning likely occurs during the flooding season between July and October, and pairs swim in unison during spawning. The diet consists of algae that is scraped from rocks and small invertebrates. The growth rate is rapid in the first year, then slows down as the fish age.