Waterlot's Synodontis Care Guide
Synodontis waterloti is a robust West African catfish often confused with S. ocellifer, suited to soft to neutral water and spacious tanks.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Synodontis waterloti is an upside-down catfish native to western Africa. FishBase reports a standard length of about 14.1 cm and a maximum total length of about 18.5 cm. It is often confused with S. ocellifer and forms a minor component of local commercial fisheries.
Taxonomy
- Family: Mochokidae
- Genus: Synodontis
- Scientific name: Synodontis waterloti
- Describer: Daget, 1962
Habitat
The species occurs in numerous West African rivers, including the upper Gambia, Corubal, Konkouré, Great Scarcies, Rokel, Sewa, St. John and Pra systems, across Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. FishBase lists a temperature range of 22–25 °C and pH of 6.8–7.8 for its freshwater, benthopelagic habitat.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 300 L
- Temperature: 24–28 °C
- pH: 6.5–7.5
- GH: 5–15 °dGH
- Adult size: 20–25 cm
- Lifespan: 8–15 years
Diet
Synodontis waterloti is omnivorous, with a trophic level near 2.5 suggesting a partly herbivorous and detritivorous diet. The genus also takes insect larvae, gastropods and crustaceans. A varied prepared and frozen diet suits the aquarium, offered once daily.
Compatibility
A bottom-dwelling, nocturnal catfish that can become semi-aggressive when adult. It is kept with robust tankmates and given caves and dim lighting. Small tetras are unsuitable companions.
Breeding
The species is oviparous with distinct pairing during breeding. Aquarium breeding is rarely reported.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed 30 November 2019.
Synodontis waterloti Breeding Guide
Overview
Synodontis waterloti is native to freshwater systems of western Africa. It grows to about 18.5 cm total length and forms a minor component of local commercial fisheries. The IUCN Red List classifies it as Least Concern.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
No spawning observations specific to Synodontis waterloti are available. For the genus, spawning is reported during the flooding season between roughly July and October, with pairs swimming in unison, often coinciding with the rising water of the rainy season.
Egg & Fry Care
No documented account of egg or fry development exists for this species. Reproductive knowledge across the genus is largely limited to egg counts taken from gravid females, so no rearing procedure can be described.
Common Challenges
The absence of an established spawning method is the principal obstacle. Like the similar Synodontis ocellifer with which it is often confused, this riverine species becomes semi-aggressive as an adult, which further complicates pairing in captivity.