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Common Name: Cuckoo catfish
Size: 5-6”
pH: 7.5 -8.5
Minimum Tank: 55gal
Native Location: Lake Tanganyika
Temperature: 25-27C
Diet: This Synodontis species feeds on small snails and insects in the wild, and should be fed accordingly in the aquarium. Cuckoo catfish prefer meaty foods over vegetable based alternatives. A good staple sinking pellet, supplemented with regular feedings of frozen food will ensure a healthy diet.
Breeding: This Synodontis species derives its common name from it’s choice of spawning method. This catfish uses a parasitic approach when it comes to breeding. Multipunctatus will usually hang around in groups of 5-6 adult fish. The adult catfish will sense when the nearby adult cichlids are ready to spawn. The catfish will then rush the cichlid spawning site eating any cichlid eggs they can, leaving behind their own. The much smaller catfish eggs are then picked up by the female cichlid as well as any remaining cichlid eggs. The female cichlid will then proceed to incubate her own eggs oblivious to the fact that she is also carrying Syno eggs. The catfish eggs will hatch in 2-3 days devouring all the cichlid eggs/fry leaving only a few fat little Syno’s for the cichlid mother to spit out!
Gender Differences: Females are generally fatter/plumper then males. Venting can also be used for this species.
Notes: A great addition to any African cichlid tank. One of the more active Synodontis species, these catfish will cruise around the bottom of the tank in search of food during day light hours.
With breeding, I have noticed a few things that may help to yield breeders more fry;
- Cichlid parents will wizen up. It is advised to have 2 -3 adult cichlid colonies to move your Synodontis colony between, rotation is the key. I noticed when I first started breeding these catfish with Red Empress that I was averaging between 8-12 catfish fry per cichlid mouthful. Over the months these numbers dropped to 3-6 even with mouthfuls that I liked to call ‘clean’ having none at all. I decided to investigate. I watched as the females refused to spawn whenever the catfish were anywhere to be seen as well as spawning taking place at a far more rapid pace.
- - Host selection is also a major factor in breeding these fish, with some cichlid species working far better then others. Highly aggressive cichlids such as some Mbuna species should be avoided due to them being able to keep the cuckoos at bay. Other fish with small mouths also seem to be quite ineffective, such as Electric yellows. Personally I have used; Red empress, Electric blue as well as Electra (Placidochromis spp).
An interesting fish for anyone looking for something a little ‘different’.
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