How fast do synodontis petricola catfish grow?

What is a dwarf petricola catfish?

The dwarf Petricola is a slow-growing species of catfish, reaching a maximum length of about four inches. Since they are not readily bred in the hobby, prices for these fish tend to be high. This catfish is a shy, reclusive, but active fish.

Do petricola fish lay eggs?

Unlike the majority of the genus, S. petricola is actually bred quite often in aquaria. It is usually an open spawning egg scatterer but it is also one of the few fish known to exhibit a method of spawning known as brood parasitism. The others also being Tanganyikan Synodontis species!

What is a petricola catfish?

The Petricola Catfish is known only from the northern rocky shorelines of Lake Tanganyika, Africa. The aquarium should be spacious with a soft sandy substrate in order to protect the sensory barbels.

What is a dwarf petricola Synodontis catfish?

Also known as the False Cuckoo Catfish, Synodontis lucipinnis, the Dwarf Petricola Synodontis Catfish is an African Catfish that is endemic to Lake Tanganyika. This smaller species of Synodontis catfish displays a creamy-gold body dappled with dark polka dots that have muted edges while its dark fins are highlighted with white edges.

What does a Synodontis catfish look like?

This smaller species of Synodontis catfish displays a creamy-gold body dappled with dark polka dots that have muted edges while its dark fins are highlighted with white edges. This Synodontis catfish will appreciate a fine sandy bottom with large roots and crevices for hiding places in an aquarium of at least 30 gallons in size.

Is the Syndontis petricola an egg scatterer?

Whilst largely an egg scatterer in open waters, this species is unusual in that it is one of the few fish known for a breeding method known as ‘Brood Parasitism’. The Syndontis Petricola time their spawning to coincide with African Mouthbreeders and lay their eggs amongst the African Cichlids’ spawn.

Do catfish lay eggs in cichlids?

The Syndontis Petricola time their spawning to coincide with African Mouthbreeders and lay their eggs amongst the African Cichlids’ spawn. As the catfish eggs hatch, the young fry consumes the mouthbrooders’ eggs and are protected by the unsuspecting cichlids.

What size aquarium does a petricolas need?

For this reason, Petricolas should be kept in a 20-gallon aquarium or larger. Breeding pairs can be housed by themselves in a 10-gallon aquarium. Originally being residents of Lake Tanganyika, these little catfish can be kept with larger, more aggressive fish such as African Cichlids.

How do petricola breed?

In the aquarium, well-conditioned S. petricola will breed via the egg scattering method. The spawning clinch follows a period of excited chasing from the male fish, with the eggs being deposited on the substrate or in a cave.

Can you breed Synodontis in captivity?

Some species are being bred in captivity by wholesalers and devoted hobbyists, however not on a big scale. Synodontis petricola, Synodontis flavitaeniata, and Synodontis multipunctatus are just a few generally supplied as tank-bred people.

Can you breed Synodontis multipunctatus with cuckoo catfish?

This intricate relationship between Cuckoo Catfish and cichlids naturally makes breeding Synodontis multipunctatus a bit complicated, since you must provide them with suitable breeding, mouthbrooding cichlids. It is however far from impossible and for those willing to devote time and energy to the project, the success rate is actually very high.

Is it Synodontis petricola or S lucipinnis?

Synodontis petricola Many times the question is asked Synodontis petricola or S. lucipinnis, two seemingly identical species and until recently considered to be the same by most. An aquarist armed with some knowledge combined with a little patience can learn to differentiate between the two.

What are the characteristics of the petricola?

Its ventral, pectoral, dorsal and anal fins have white tips and a darker base. The Petricola has a humeral process which is trilateral and elongated and its gill openings do not cross the pectoral fin spine.

What kind of catfish is a cuckoo cat?

Cuckoo catfish, or the pygmy leopard catfish, scientific name Synodontis multipunctatus is a species broadly available to African countries, such as Burundi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania where it is only known from Lake Tanganyika.

Why is Synodontis multipunctatus called cuckoo catfish?

Synodontis multipunctatus is called the Cuckoo Catfish due to its peculiar breeding behavior. Instead of caring for their own eggs, they use mouthbrooding cichlids. The offspring will not only be cared for by the cichlid; since Cuckoo Catfish larvae grows faster than cichlid larvae and will actually use cichlid offspring as food.

Can I breed Synodontis multipunctatus with other fish?

The safest bet is of course to choose a cichlid species from the same habitat as Synodontis multipunctatus, but this is not mandatory. Successful breeding has for instance taken place with Haplochromis sauvagei as host fish, even though this species is native to Lake Victoria.

How big does a Synodontis multipunctatus catfish get?

| Cuckoo Catfish General info about Synodontis Multipunctatus Catfish The average adult in captivity is 6 inches.

What is unique breeding&spawning in Synodontis?

Breeding & Spawning Synodontis Multipunctatus Catfish S.multipunctatushas an unusual spawning behavior; it utilizes mouth-brooding Cichlids as foster parents for their fry.

What is brood parasitism in catfish?

It is usually an open spawning egg scatterer but it is also one of the few fish known to exhibit a method of spawning known as brood parasitism. The others also being Tanganyikan Synodontis species! The catfish times its spawning to coincide with that of a ‘host’ mouthbrooding cichlid and lays its eggs among those of the host fish.

When was Synodontis petricola first described?

Synodontis petricola was first scientifically described by Mathes in 1959. More recently Synodontis lucipinnis was described in 2006 by Wright & Page. Frequently in literature pictures of S. lucipinnis have been labeled as S. petricola and there were many years when this species was referred to as S. petricola sp.”dwarf” so confusion is justified.

What is the difference between Staphylococcus petricola and staphis lucipinnis?

Additionally, in most cases, S. petricola displays spots on the head area that are smaller than the spots on the flanks. In S. lucipinnis, these spots tend to be of a more uniform size all over. Omnivorous.