Catfish – Upside-Down Catfish (Synodontis Nigriventris) 4-5cm

The Featherfin Catfish (Synodontis eupterus) originates from the White Nile, Volta and Chad river basins and surrounding feeder rivers and tributaries. They live in areas where the bottom of the river has an abundance of rocks and wood and relatively sparse vegetation. The Featherfin patrols inside every rocky cave and crevice and around submerged logs and roots for any type of edible plant, algae or meaty item that it can find. While in their native river habitats it is not unusually for this species to grow upwards of 31cm in length, aquarium specimens rarely exceed 25cm in length with a max size of 20cm being much more common.

Featherfin Catfish do best when kept with African Cichlids, New World Cichlids or moderately sized community fish. They will often become territorial towards other catfish when kept in smaller aquariums; however, when kept in larger aquariums 500 litres or more, they are generally pretty easy going towards their tank mates.

One of the smallest members of the genus Synodontis, the upside-down catfish is aptly named for its upside-down swimming posture, which makes it easier for it to feed more effortlessly on the water’s surface. It is also known as the blotched upside-down catfish because of its spotted appearance. They are an extremely popular species that have been admired for countless centuries; their images have even been found in ancient Egyptian art.

• Species – Synodontis Nigriventris
• Common Name – Upside-down Catfish
• Origin – Central Africa
• Diet – Omnivore
• PH Range – 7.5 – 8.5
• Temperature – Tropical 24°c – 29°c
• Breed Type – Egg Layer but very difficult to breed in the aquarium
• Current Size – approximately 4-5cm (Grows to approximately 20cm)
• Sex – Un-sexed