Bugeye Squeaker

About

The Bugeye Squeaker (Synodontis contracta) is a small, personable catfish from the middle Congo River basin, where it schools in pools and slower streams, often among shoreline vegetation over muddy substrates. Its most immediately noticeable habit is swimming and feeding in an inverted position. Something it does almost constantly, not as an occasional quirk but as its normal mode of life. Up close, the broad head, oversized eyes, and wide mouth give it an almost cartoonish look that sets it apart from its close relative Synodontis nigriventris, with which it is frequently confused in the trade. The larger eyes are the quickest way to tell the two species apart. In the aquarium, this is one of the more relaxed members of a genus that can sometimes be assertive. It fits well into peaceful community setups and pairs naturally with African tetras, Pelvicachromis or Anomalochromis cichlids, and small mormyrids. Keeping a group of at least three or four individuals is worthwhile, as they are more confident and visible in company. New arrivals can be delicate and need stable, clean water during the settling-in period, but once established they tend to prove reasonably hardy. It turns up in the trade less often than nigriventris, so when you find it, it is worth picking up a small group.