Synodontis Decorus Catfish

General information

The average adult is 10 inches, as such, it is not recommended for a general community aquarium since it may see smaller fish as prey, however, it is a peaceful species and can be kept with other large fish. Unlike other Synos, this species isn’t territorial and can be kept with conspecifics. The ideal aquarium conditions for these fish are water temperatures ranging from 71.6ºF to 82.4ºF, plenty of rocks, caves, driftwood, sections of pipes and floating vegetation, the more hiding places, the better. The aquarium should also be dimly lit and have a soft substrate. This Synodontis has a creamy white base color with large black spots and has a long extension of the dorsal fin which can reach as far back as its caudal fin.

This species is omnivorous. In the wild it eats crustaceans, small fishes, algae and insect larvae. In an aquarium it can be fed with dried, live or frozen foods. They are nocturnal so it is advisable to feed them at lights out or during the night.

Males are slightly darker and smaller than females.

In the wild, this species breeds in areas of seasonal flooding that are rich in nutrients.

This species can be found in the Congo River basin in Africa.

It is not recommend to use nets to handle this species because the spines on their pectoral fins can become entangled in the mesh of the net.