- Animals
- ›Chordates
- ›Vertebrates
- ›Ray-finned Fishes
- ›Carps, Characins, Catfishes and Allies
- ›Catfishes
- ›Siluroidei
- ›Squeakers
- ›Mochokinae
Squeakers
Synodontis
Synodontis is the largest genus of mochokid catfishes. It is the biggest genus within the 10 genera and 190 different species in the family Mochokidae. Synodontis has over 131 different species within the genus. Synodontis are also known as squeakers, due to their ability to make stridulatory sounds through their pectoral fin spines when handled or disturbed. Synodontis make a sound that sounds like squeaking by rubbing their spines together. They do this when they have been frightened or when they become angry. Synodontis may also squeak when they are taken out of the water. These catfish are small- to medium-sized fish with many species exhibiting attractive spotted markings. Some species are also known for naturally swimming belly-up, earning the name upside-down catfish. Some of these species are Synodontis contractus and Synodontis nigriventris. While some Synodontis are known to swim upside down, another species, Synodontis multipunctatus, is a brood parasite. This species, Synodontis petricola, and Synodontis grandiops are collectively known as cuckoo catfish.
60 branches of this genus, most-observed first · about 131 known species
Featherfin Squeaker
speciesSynodontis eupterus
Brown Squeaker
speciesSynodontis zambezensis
Cuckoo Squeaker
speciesSynodontis multipunctatus
Wahrindi
speciesSynodontis schall
Lake Malawi Syno
speciesSynodontis njassae
Decorated Squeaker
speciesSynodontis decorus
Even-spotted Squeaker
speciesSynodontis petricola
Spotted Squeaker
speciesSynodontis nigromaculatus
Upside-down Catfish
speciesSynodontis nigriventris
Largespot Squeaker
speciesSynodontis macrostigma
Synodontis notatus
speciesSynodontis notatus
Largemouth Squeaker
speciesSynodontis macrostoma
Ocellated Synodontis
speciesSynodontis ocellifer
two spot synodontis
speciesSynodontis nummifer
Synodontis congicus
speciesSynodontis congicus
Black-spotted Synodontis
speciesSynodontis acanthomias
Congo squeaker
speciesSynodontis pleurops
Dwarf Synodontis
speciesSynodontis batesii
Finetooth Squeaker
speciesSynodontis vanderwaali
Bubblebarb Squeaker
speciesSynodontis woosnami
False Upside-down Catfish
speciesSynodontis nigrita
moustache catfish
speciesSynodontis membranaceus
Fischer's Victoria squeaker
speciesSynodontis afrofischeri
Synodontis greshoffi
speciesSynodontis greshoffi
Lake Victoria Squeaker
speciesSynodontis victoriae
Orangestriped Squeaker
speciesSynodontis flavitaeniatus
Synodontis irsacae
speciesSynodontis irsacae
Synodontis filamentosus
speciesSynodontis filamentosus
Poll's Synodontis
speciesSynodontis polli
Bubblebarb Squeaker
speciesSynodontis thamalakanensis
Synodontis koensis
speciesSynodontis koensis
Leopard Squeaker
speciesSynodontis leopardinus
yellow marbled Synodontis
speciesSynodontis schoutedeni
Synodontis rebeli
speciesSynodontis rebeli
Mandi
speciesSynodontis clarias
Lake Rukwa squeaker
speciesSynodontis rukwaensis
Synodontis waterloti
speciesSynodontis waterloti
Synodontis rufigiensis
speciesSynodontis rufigiensis
Sudan squeaker
speciesSynodontis frontosus
Synodontis sorex
speciesSynodontis sorex
Upside-down Catfish
speciesSynodontis contractus
scissortail synodontis
speciesSynodontis acanthoperca
Synodontis robertsi
speciesSynodontis robertsi
Synodontis granulosus
speciesSynodontis granulosus
giant upside-down catfish
speciesSynodontis batensoda
Synodontis ouemeensis
speciesSynodontis ouemeensis
Synodontis punctifer
speciesSynodontis punctifer
Synodontis smiti
speciesSynodontis smiti
Fuelleborn's squeaker
speciesSynodontis fuelleborni
black synodontis
speciesSynodontis haugi
Synodontis multimaculatus
speciesSynodontis multimaculatus
Synodontis bastiani
speciesSynodontis bastiani
Synodontis macropunctatus
speciesSynodontis macropunctatus
Synodontis tessmanni
speciesSynodontis tessmanni
Synodontis violaceus
speciesSynodontis violaceus
Synodontis obesus
speciesSynodontis obesus
Synodontis soloni
speciesSynodontis soloni
Synodontis alberti
speciesSynodontis alberti
Synodontis ornatipinnis
speciesSynodontis ornatipinnis
Synodontis ornatissimus
speciesSynodontis ornatissimus
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the old herbals & bestiaries
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Synodontis in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 92348.