Synodontis albolineatus, known as the mustard catfish,[2] or the mustard squeaker,[3] is a species of upside-down catfish native to Gabon and Cameroon, where it occurs in the Ntem and Ivindo rivers.[4] It was first described by French zoologist Jacques Pellegrin in 1924, based upon a holotype discovered in the Djoua River at Madjingo, Gabon.[5] The holotype specimen resides in the Musee National d' Histoire Naturelle de Paris.[3] The specific name "albolineatus" is a composite from the Latin word albus for "white" and the Latin word linea for "line", which refers to the white midlateral stripe of the species.
| Synodontis albolineatus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Mochokidae |
| Genus: | Synodontis |
| Species: | S. albolineatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Synodontis albolineatus Pellegrin, 1924
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| Synonyms | |
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Description edit
The body of the fish is a dark brown to black with turquoise-brown marbled or spotted markings; spots are smaller on the head.[3][4] A thick, white lateral line appears in adults that horizontally along the length of the fish.[2] The fins are clear with brown spots.[3] The dorsal fin is composed of one prominent hard spine and seven soft rays.[4]
Like other members of the genus, this fish has a humeral process, which is a bony spike that is attached to a hardened head cap on the fish and can be seen extending beyond the gill opening.[5] The first ray of the dorsal fin and the pectoral fins have a hardened first ray which is serrated.[5] The caudal fin is forked with two equal lobes.[4] It has short, cone-shaped teeth in the upper jaw.[5] In the lower jaw, the teeth are s-shaped and movable.[5] The fish has one pair of maxillary barbels, and two pairs of mandibular barbels that are often branched.[2][5]
This species grows to a length of 10 centimetres (3.9 in) SL although specimens up to 17.2 centimetres (6.8 in) TL have been recorded in the wild.[4][5]
Habitat edit
In the wild, the species has been found in only four locations on the Ntem and Ivindo rivers.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b Moelants, T. (2010). "Synodontis albolineatus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010. IUCN: e.T182832A7980666. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T182832A7980666.en. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ a b c "Synodontis albolineatus Pellegrin, 1924". scotcat.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d Marshall, David (March 2005). "The Mustard Catfish". Federation of British Aquatic Societies. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2016). "Synodontis albolineatus" in FishBase. June 2016 version.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Synodontis albolineatus Pellegrin, 1924". Planet Catfish. 19 Jul 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
External links edit
Data related to Synodontis albolineatus at Wikispecies