Animal-World > Aquarium Tropical Fish > Catfish > Feather-Fin Synodontis

Feather-Fin Synodontis

Feather-Fin Catfish ~ Feather-Fin Squeaker

Family: MochokidaeSynodontis eupterusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The Feather-Fin Synodontis is quite a pretty fish with its polka dot patterning giving it a delicate lacy appearance!

  Although this Synodontis (like most of this genus) gets fairly large, reaching up to 6" (15 cm) when mature, it gets along well in a large community aquarium. The Feather-Fin Synodontis or Feather-Fin Catfish are fairly hardy fish and are not difficult to keep in a well maintained environment.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Geographic Distribution Synodontis eupterus Data provided by FishBase.org Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Siluriformes Family: Mochokidae

Habitat: Distribution / Background

   The Feather-Fin Synodontis are found in Africa, the White Nile, Chad basin and Niger.

• Scientific Name: Synodontis eupterus
• Social Grouping: Solitary - Best kept singly because of their territorial and aggressive nature when they reach maturity.
• IUCN Red List: NE - Not Evaluated or not listed

Description

Featherfin catfish are also called Featherfin Squeakers because of their ability to make noises to communicate with each other. They are known for their high feather-like dorsal fin which make them attractive to many aquarists. They can get territorial, especially with fish of their own kind and are therefore usually kept singly in community aquariums.

• Maximum Size: 6.0 inches (15.24 cm)

Fish Keeping Difficulty

• Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
• Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner

Foods and Feeding

   Since they are omnivorous the Feather-Fin Synodontis will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food or pellet everyday. Also feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms.

• Diet Type: Omnivore
• Flake Food: Yes
• Tablet Pellet: Yes
• Live foods (fishes, shrimps, worms): Some of Diet
• Vegetable Food: Some of Diet
• Meaty Food: Some of Diet
• Feeding Frequency: Several feedings per day

Aquarium Care

• Water Changes: Bi-weekly

Aquarium Setup

• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gal (114 L)
• Substrate Type: Any
• Lighting Needs: Low - subdued lighting
• Temperature: 72.0 - 81.0° F (22.2 - 27.2° C)
• Range ph: 6.5-7.5
• Hardness Range: 8 - 20 dGH
• Brackish: No
• Water Movement: Moderate
• Water Region: Bottom

Social Behaviors

   The Feather-Fin Synodontis are generally a good community fish and can be kept with any size tank-mates.

• Venomous: No
• Temperament: Semi-aggressive - This fish has a very dominating personality and should be paired only with sturdier tankmates.
• Compatible with:
  • Same species - conspecifics: No
  • Peaceful fish (): Monitor
  • Semi-Aggressive: (): Monitor - Can usually be kept with semi-aggressive and even aggressive fish such as Rift Lake cichlids.
  • Aggressive: (): Monitor
  • Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: Safe - not aggressive
  • Plants: Safe

Sex: Sexual differences

   Not known.

Breeding / Reproduction

   Has not been bred in captivity.

• Ease of Propagation: Unknown - This fish has been bred in fish farms with the help of added hormones, however breeding is unknown in the home aquarium.

Availability

   The Feather-Fin Synodontis is available occasionally.

References

Animal-World References
Freshwater Fish and Plants Tropical Fish ~ Freshwater Fish ~ Aquatic Plants

Author: David Brough. CFS.

• Featherfin : $16.99

African Featherfin Catfish Offered By: PetsMart Price: $16.99

Lastest Comments on Feather-Fin Synodontis View all 25 comments on Feather-Fin Synodontis Add Your Comment

shellshell - 2012-01-31 Ok I got a feather finned catfish and he is being a bully. He's small and I bought the pellets like was suggested, but he keeps chasing my bala sharks and my red tailed black sharks... I'm not happy... will this continue?? Because the rest of the fish get along... he seems to be the only problem!!!!!! Click For Replies (2) Kevin - 2012-02-07 Hey, they are aggressive towards their own kind, not really towards other fish but they are territorial. Can you tell me tank size and also add some bigger cave for him. I have a 6 inch featherfin in a 90 gallon with african cichlids redtail shark and other catfish but i have plenty of hiding spots and it doesnt bother any fish at all. Alex Burleson - 2012-02-08 Most likely, the chasing will continue. Perhaps, you should consider removing him from the aquarium, or re homing him. That would ensure a more stress free environment in your aquarium! Reply

Ashley - 2012-01-15 I have a full grown Featherfin named Igor that was sold to me as a Pleco, he was in horrible condition at this crappy fish store at our local mall. He was missing all of his barbels, his entire 'feather fin' he was totally blind, and he was missing his hump at the base of his tail. He was in a tank with crayfish that were eating him alive and he was so malnorished I could actually see his bones. I bought him and brought him home and put him in my 20 gal goldfish tank and was thinking I would at least let him die in peace without crayfish eating him......lets just say to make a long story short, a year later he is now the king of my 100 gal fish tank (bought special for him) all of his fins and barbels grew back, he has full vision, and is currently on my bad side for eating my 25 dollar Blue Prong. This species of fish is a remarkable healer if given the proper care, Igor will actually eat bloodworms out of my hand now, cause when he was blind and had no barbels I would have to push the food practically in his mouth, now he sees me coming and will swim to the top of the tank and take his bloodworm snack. He is by far my favorite fish (and the only one with a name actually!) and I would recommend this fish to anyone who is ready to take the step up from goldfish! Just watch your Prongs! Click For Replies (1) Charlie Roche - 2012-01-16 I like that. You saved a fish and gained a friend. Reply

Cindy - 2011-10-28 I have two African Feather Catfish and I cannot find any information about breeding except everyone says they cannot be breed in captivity - well I believe mine have tried twice now and I have had them for about a year. I purchased them from a pet store nearly 8 inches long and they were in a tank with much smaller featherfin fish. The first time I believe they breed I discovered something that looked like a very large pea size round 'egg' floating in my tank - the edges were brick red with what appeared to be an abundance of minute clear to white looking moving stuff then as I was trying to put it in my floating netted fry cage it burst. Now recently one of my featherfin has been displaying an unusual swimming pattern of twirling every so often before resting in its favorite place - this evening while looking at the tank I noticed lots of nearly micro size small beads on the side of one of the their caves. Oh, they have been friendlier than usual lately too. Well I removed the cave to investigate because I thought something was on it that should not be when I started thinking that mayby my fish layed eggs there. I entered a search for information and came to this website. I do not know if these were eggs or not - I am so dissappointed if they were - I am assuming they will breed again if I maintain my tank properly which I am trying to do but I am an amateur - I have had my tank for only a year now. I was searching for a photo of what their eggs are supposed to look like, but all I get is that they are egg layers. Can anyone please help me to know if these were and I really mean were eggs or something that should not be in the tank - ?I really need to know because I want to do the best I can to take care of these fish, plus if they really breed why when all the comments I read are "not in captivity" - they are beautiful fish - one gets really dark black with even darker spots and the other not as dark - they are gentle fish in a tank with angel fish - they will avoid swimming in an area with the angel fish if the angel fish are in a group - the angel fish will swim where ever they want with no regard to surrounding fish, but are group swimmers - so - please send a comment if you know about the featherfin fish and what I might have messed up by removing their cave - or if it was something that should not have been in it - I felt the substance on the side of the cave and it was like micro size cavier and felt like wet beads - not round in shape but oval vertically. If they were eggs I would like help with knowing what else to look for so i can be prepared the next time they breed - if it was not I would like help with taking care of my tank -sincerest appreciation for anyone return comments. Click For Replies (2) Charlie Roche - 2011-10-31 I couldn't find any information on breeding these guys in an aquarium. They are bred in captivity but somehow they do it hormonally. I don't exactly know how that works. However, females can have eggs. If she hasn't bred then the eggs wouldn't be fertile so you could be seeing just infertile eggs. You might be interested in just doing a Google search on hormonal breeding Feather Fin. There are many articles on that. Rob - 2012-01-08 Mine's black with a line of white dots. Has become friendly over the years and comes out often. When he/she was younger it would never come out but I guess after 4+ years of seeing me... it's great to watch I have 3 clown loaches also with it and when they come on his side of the tank he flares up and takes chase. Also they wait upside down at the surface of the tank for smaller fish to swim over its mouth and sucks them in. Reply

john - 2011-09-25 Are there any pet stores that carry these around fairfax? Reply

Charlie - 2009-03-27 Mine was bought at 3cm and now is about 10 cm. I have him in a 55 gallon with sand, cichlids, a peacock eel, silver dollars, a cuvier bichir, two harliquin rasoboras, and a pictus cat. he is quite territorial and has scars from trying to attack cichlids and being turned on. Very fast growing. Click For Replies (1) gil - 2011-09-05 Your cichlids didn't kill your peacock eel? Reply

josh - 2011-07-24 I have a large dark black featherfin I've been told it's rare I got him around 18 months ago and he was just over 7 inches and hasn't grown since I got him so he must be fully grown. He's in a 70gl tank with 2 parrots, 1 gourami, 1 redtail shark, a plec, 2 blackknifes, 2 clown loach, 2 paradise fish, and a stinkpot musk turtle and another catfish similar to him/her but not featherfin. They all get on great together I haven't lost a fish since I put him in there 18 month ago so I assume they're all happy lol. He doesn't like the turtle though every time the turtle goes near the featherfins corner he chases the turtle away but other than that he just stays in his corner til the lights go off then I drop him a pellet and he's off happy as larry. Click For Replies (1) Charlie Roche - 2011-07-25 The tank is too small for that number/size of fish. You might want to consider another tank and split some of the fish out. Sorry. Rule of thumb is 1 gallon for every 1 inch your fish is going to be as an adult. Could be why the fish isn't growing. Of course they aren't going to grow overnight either. Reply

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