As
is the case with many rare and seldom-seen fish, the literature
is more than a little confusing when it comes to one of our favorite
fish, Synodontis petricola.
One
primary reference source even calls the fish S. petricolor(?)
In
the past, the fish has gone by the common name dwarf petricola
or pygmy catfish. This in itself is confusing because there
is only one S. petricola cited in reference works. (At
the 1996 ACA convention in New Orleans, a comparatively large
Synodontis species was sold as a petricola with
the explanation that it wasn’t the dwarf petricola!)
Other
reference works credit Synodontis multipunctatus (with
which S. petricola is often confused) as being the only
cuckoo-type breeder among catfish, but this breeding method has
also been documented with petricola.
(The two species substitute their eggs for those of mouthbrooding
cichlids and let the female cichlid care for their eggs and young!)
To
confuse matters further, we have been told first-hand by individuals
that both petricola and multipunctatus have bred
using egg-scattering techniques.
Sources
do pretty much agree on the following:
S.
petricola is not only one of the relatively few catfishes
to inhabit the African Rift Lakes (Tanganyika), but it is the
smallest of these catfishes. (Females max out at about 4";
males at about 3".)
S.
petricola is one of the world’s beautiful catfish—leopard-spotted
like Synodontis multipunctatus, but with more white trimming
the edges of the dark fins. It is nearly always seen with all
fins erect.
S.
petricola is very peaceful, engaging only in chases with conspecifics.
It seems to show no interest in even the smallest of other fish.
S.
petricola is gregarious, preferring to be kept in groups with
other petricola—or multipunctatus as a suitable
substitute. When kept in this manner, S. petricola is not
as shy or nocturnal as most catfish. In fact, a small school will
frequently put on an aquarium swimming “show”, seemingly
just for you.
To
top it all off, S. petricola, in our experience, is extremely
hardy and frequently will meet its “master” at the top
of the tank at feeding time.
Despite
its always rather hefty price, it’s a fish we’ve never
wanted to be without.
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