Synodontis grandiops Breeding Guide

Breeding notes for the Lake Tanganyika squeaker Synodontis grandiops, a brood-parasitic catfish whose home breeding is not established.

Overview

Synodontis grandiops is a mochokid squeaker endemic to Lake Tanganyika, on the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Tanzania. It is distinguished by its notably large eyes, about three-tenths of the head length, and reaches a maximum standard length of roughly 11 cm (total length to about 15 cm). It typically inhabits littoral to benthic zones over shell, sand and mud bottoms.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The species exhibits brood parasitism. Spawning likely occurs during the flooding season between July and October, with pairs swimming in synchrony. During courtship the female collects sperm from the male's cloaca and transports it via her digestive tract to her own cloaca for fertilisation; she then deposits eggs in cichlid nests after consuming the cichlids' own eggs, leaving the host cichlids to raise the catfish young as their own.

Common Challenges

Because reproduction depends on host cichlids that are tricked into mouthbrooding the catfish eggs, deliberate breeding requires spawning host species in close coordination and is not a practical home-aquarium project. This catfish is best kept as a display species rather than for breeding.