Synodontis violaceus Pellegrin, 1919
Synodontis violaceus
photo by MNHN

Family:  Mochokidae (Squeakers or upside-down catfishes), subfamily: Mochokinae
Max. size:  30 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  Africa: upper Senegal, Niger, Volta and Chad basins (Ref. 57223). Also reported from the Chari-Logone (Ref. 57223) and Cross (Ref. 81251).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 1; Anal spines: -0. Diagnosis: gill slits not extending ventrally beyond pectoral-fin insertions (Ref. 57223). Post-orbital length at most 60% of snout length (Ref. 57223, 81251). Entire margin of opercle smooth (Ref. 81251). Maxillary barbels shorter than head (Ref. 57223), at most 0.9 times HL (Ref. 81251), broadly fringed, without tubercles (Ref. 57223), unbranched, but with a light basal membrane extending over their entire length (Ref. 57223, 81251). Outer mandibular barbels with numerous and subdivided ramifications; branches of inner mandibular barbels also subdivided, and tuberculate (Ref. 57223, 81251). Width of premaxillary tooth plate comprised at most 1.8 times in eye diameter (Ref. 57223). Mandibular teeth moderately developed (Ref. 57223), movable (Ref. 81251), numbering 24-29 (Ref. 57223, 81251). Denticulations of pectoral-fin spine weak on outer margin, stronger on inner margin (Ref. 57223), with twice as many serrations along anterior edge as posterior (Ref. 81251). Dorsal-fin spine smooth on anterior margin (Ref. 57223, 81251), except for some apical serrations (Ref. 57223). Humeral process triangular (Ref. 57223), pointed (Ref. 81251), deep, slightly granulose and weakly keeled ventrally (Ref. 57223, 81251). Adipose fin long, low and close to rayed dorsal fin; outer margin of caudal fin black-edged (Ref. 57223, 81251). Caudal fin without single dark patch at base of each fin lobe (Ref. 81251). Description: snout subconical and quite long; lips well-developed and papillate; pelvic fin not reaching anal fin; caudal fin deeply forked and long, with upper lobes developed; caudal peduncle twice as long as deep (Ref. 81251). Coloration: greenish or yellowish, darker on back and lighter on belly; outer margins of caudal-fin lobes dark-edged; juveniles have the same colouration as adults (Ref. 57223, 81251).
Biology:  Oviparous (Ref. 205). Maximum size recorded was 380mm total length (295mm standard length)(Ref. 57223).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 03 September 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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