Cuckoo Catfish

About

The cuckoo catfish (Synodontis petricola) earns its common name through one of the more remarkable tricks in freshwater fish keeping. Native to Lake Tanganyika, where it lives among rocky shorelines, this small catfish exploits mouthbrooding cichlids by timing its own spawning to coincide with theirs. The catfish eggs hatch faster than the cichlid's, and the young catfish consume the host's eggs while the unwitting cichlid continues to protect and tend the fry as if they were its own. It is a behavior that genuinely stops people in their tracks when they first hear about it. In the aquarium, S. petricola is actually one of the more manageable members of the genus. Peaceful enough for a well-chosen community, and one of the few Synodontis bred with any regularity by hobbyists. It works well alongside other Tanganyikan species, particularly mouthbrooding cichlids, though that pairing obviously comes with some irony attached. Keep them in groups of four or more, since single specimens tend to stay hidden and you will rarely see them. Give them rockwork or other cover and they become noticeably more active and confident. A genuinely rewarding catfish for anyone setting up a Rift Lake biotope.