Synodontis aterrimus
Synodontis aterrimus, known as the network synodontis, is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it is found in the middle Congo Basin. It was first described by Max Poll and Tyson R. Roberts in 1968. The original specimens were obtained in Bokuma, on the Congo River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The species name aterrimus means "very black", referring to the dark coloration on the underside of the body.
Description
Like all members of the genus Synodontis, S. aterrimus has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. The head contains a distinct narrow, bony, external protrusion called a humeral process. The fish has three pairs of barbels. The maxillary barbels are on located on the upper jaw, and two pairs of mandibular barbels are on the lower jaw. The adipose fin is large and the tail, or caudal fin, is forked.The front edges of the dorsal fins and the pectoral fins are hardened into stiff spines. These spines can be raised into position at right angles to the body and locked into position for defensive purposes. The ability to lock the spines into place comes from several small bones attached to the spine, and once raised, the spines cannot be folded down by exerting pressure on the tip.
The fish has a structure called a premaxillary toothpad, which is located on the very front of the upper jaw of the mouth. This structure contains several rows of short, chisel-shaped teeth. On the lower jaw, or mandible, the teeth are attached to flexible, stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked".
The maximum standard length of the species is. Generally, females in the genus Synodontis tend to be slightly larger than males of the same age.