Pigmy Synodontis

About

The Pigmy Synodontis (Microsynodontis polli) is one of the few members of its genus that turns up with any regularity in the hobby, and its miniature size is the first thing that sets it apart from the more familiar Synodontis catfishes most hobbyists know. Wild fish come from the Gbin River in Guinea, part of the upper Niger River basin, though a reported population in the Saint John River has never been confirmed. It belongs to a group that can be told apart from true Synodontis by the rounded or only slightly forked tail fin, compared to the deeply forked tail you see in Synodontis and the closely related Mochokiella. Another curious anatomical detail is that the eyes are fixed and cannot move, unlike in Synodontis. In the aquarium it is a gentle, undemanding fish that gets along well with peaceful tankmates. West African tetras, small mormyrids, and dwarf cichlids like Pelvicachromis are natural companions. It does not quarrel with its own kind and can be kept in groups. The one real caution is the acclimatization period: freshly imported fish can be fragile, so a careful, unhurried introduction to the tank pays off. It is sometimes mislabeled as Synodontis sp. "Nyong" or M. batesii; the absence of bold body barring is a quick way to tell this species apart.