Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii
Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri
Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Megacohors: Osteoglossocephalai
Supercohors: Clupeocephala
Cohors: Otomorpha
Subcohors: Ostariophysi
Sectio: Otophysa
Ordo: Siluriformes
Familia: Mochokidae
Subfamilia: Mochokinae
Genus: Microsynodontis
Species: M. armatus – M. batesii – M. emarginatus – M. hirsutus – M. laevigatus – M. lamberti – M. nannoculus – M. nasutus – M. notatus – M. polli – M. vigilis
Name
Microsynodontis Boulenger, 1903: 26
Gender: masculine (for explanation see Synodontis)
Type species: Microsynodontis batesii Boulenger, 1903
Type by monotypy
References
Boulenger, G.A. 1903: On the fishes collected by Mr. G. L. Bates in southern Cameroon. Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London, 1 (pt 1): 21–29, Pls. 1-5. BHL
Vigliotta, T.R. 2008: A phylogenetic study of the African catfish family Mochokidae (Osteichthyes, Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a key to genera. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 157: 73–136.
Ferraris, C.J., Jr. 2007: Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa, 1418: 1–628. PDF
Vigliotta, T.R. 2008. A phylogenetic study of the African catfish family Mochokidae (Osteichthyes, Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a key to genera. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 157: 73–136. DOI: 10.1635/0097-3157(2008)157[73:APSOTA]2.0.CO;2, JSTOR Reference page.
Links
ION
Nomenclator Zoologicus
Microsynodontis species list in FishBase,
Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (eds.) 2024. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication, www.fishbase.org, version 02/2024.
Eschmeyer, W.N., Catalog of Fishes (electronic version)
Vernacular names
English: Catfish
Microsynodontis is a genus of upside-down catfishes native to freshwater rivers in western Africa.[1] The genus was originally described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1903 based upon the type species Microsynodontis batesii.[2] The name microsynodontis comes from the Greek word mikro, meaning small, and the Greek term synodon, meaning "with the teeth all growing together".[2]
Description
Species in Microsynodontis are small, reaching a maximum standard length of 10 centimetres (3.9 in).[2] The mouth of the fish faces downward, with broad lips containing papilla.[3] The body shape is cylindrical along its entire length.[3]
Little is known about the life cycle or biology of Microsynodontis. Identifying an individual fish's species within the genus of Microsynodontis can be difficult, but some diagnostic methods have been identifying, including the identification of the color and color patterns, the shape and size of the fins, the shape and size of the snout, the characteristics of the spines of the fish, and the characteristics of the tubercles, which are small, rounded protrusions on the skin of the fish.[1] The number of teeth in an individual has not been demonstrated to be useful in identifying the species in this genus, unlike in other genera of the Mochokidae.[1]
Microsynodontis species express sexual dimorphism. Males can be distinguished by the presence of a conical genital papilla immediately posterior to the anus; in females, this papilla is smaller and has a flattened tip. Males also have a much denser aggregation of tubercles on the head. In M. hirsutus these tubercles are longer than in the other species.[1]
Microsynodontis species are occasionally imported for the aquarium trade.[1]
Microsynodontis batesii
Species
There are currently 12 recognized species in this genus:[2]
Microsynodontis armatus Ng, 2004
Microsynodontis batesii Boulenger, 1903
Microsynodontis christyi Boulenger, 1920
Microsynodontis emarginata Ng, 2004
Microsynodontis hirsuta Ng, 2004
Microsynodontis laevigata Ng, 2004
Microsynodontis lamberti Poll & Gosse, 1963
Microsynodontis nannoculus Ng, 2004
Microsynodontis nasutus Ng, 2004
Microsynodontis notata Ng, 2004
Microsynodontis polli Lambert, 1958
Microsynodontis vigilis Ng, 2004
References
Ng, Heok Hee (2004). "The Microsynodontis (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Mochokidae) of the lower Guinea region, west central Africa, with the description of eight new species" (PDF). Zootaxa. 531: 1–52.
Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2016). Species of Microsynodontis in FishBase. June 2016 version.
John P. Friel & Thomas R. Vigliotta (March 2, 2009). "Mochokidae Jordan 1923: African squeaker and suckermouth catfishes". Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
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