Upside down catfish how many

A fish swimming upside down normally indicates a serious ailment and a near-term appointment with the Great Aquatic Paradise. But one unusual fish, the upside-down catfish Synodontis nigriventris , is quite adept at gracefully gliding upside down with the greatest of ease.

Due to a remarkable physiology, the seemingly bizarre swimming habits of this fish are actually quite normal, rather than being an indicator of a life-threatening illness. These fish are able to perform underwater acrobatics, including knife edges, barrel rolls and their extended namesake posture.

In a still fish aquarium , these fish are able to remain motionless in an upside-down position for what seems to be an indefinite period of time. Synodontis nigriventris received its Greek and Latin binomial names from its tooth and jaw formation, and unusual dark belly coloration.

The upside-down catfish is a peaceful, schooling fish that grows to about 4 inches in length and is ideally suited for a community tank with other species of a similar temperament. Of the six S. Random white dots create a stunning sparkling effect on this beautiful fish. Reference material and hobbyist reports indicate these fish are tolerant of a wide range of water conditions pH 6. Synodontis nigriventris is of the order Siluriformes and part of the Mochokidae family.

It shares the order Siluriformes with the popular Corydoras, having distinctive ray finnage, cat-whiskerlike barbels and a scaleless body. The Lekenie River is a clear to tea-colored waterway with a sand and fine quartz gravel substrate.

The reason for their propensity to swim upside-down is left to conjecture, but observing them for any length of time indicates an extreme determination to forage at the water surface.

Most catfish are benthic dwellers that occasionally bolt to the surface for a quick gulp of air. But the pelagic upside-down catfish seems to rummage the top layer of the substrate only if food is unobtainable elsewhere. In addition to its unusual upside-down swimming, these fish are not affected by dorsal light response DLS , which is a tendency of a fish to tilt its body toward the sun or bright artificial lighting.

Fish DLS can easily be observed in the aquarium by shining a floodlight into the tank at about a degree angle. It was interesting to note that my S. Meyer, C. Platt and H. Distel in the Journal of Comparative Physiology, These fish are susceptible to other tropical fish diseases like Ich or bacterial infections.

However, they tend to stay on the healthier side of things. The most common issue that owners have to deal with is infected barbels. This happens when the nitrate levels get too high. The infection could affect their ability to get around. Plus, it could lead to other issues if not addressed. Author Note: The best way to avoid infected barbels and other diseases is to simply stay on top of water conditions. Upside Down Catfish are omnivores by nature. In the wild, they will typically skim the surface of the water for insect larvae.

In captivity, most fish are willing to accept whatever you give them. They do best on balanced diets that are rich in protein. You can provide commercial dry foods for their main meals. This could include sinking pellets, algae wafers, and even standard flakes.

However, we also recommend providing some live food. Brine shrimp, larvae, bloodworms , and more are all good supplements to dry food. They can keep your fish in good shape and help them reach their full potential. Like many other catfish species, the Upside Down Catfish is largely nocturnal. They will spend most of their time hiding during the day.

Once the sun sets, the fish will become more active. These fish are very peaceful and get along just fine with other non-aggressive fish. That said, they do best in groups of three to four fish of the same species. When kept in groups, they get more confident and social. You may even see them start to come out during the day instead of spending their time hiding! However, they are capable of swimming upright. Because these catfish are on the smaller side, you need to avoid any fish that could potentially see them as prey.

Avoid all aggressive fish and stick to similarly-sized peaceful ones. Remember those sharp rays we mentioned earlier? Well, your catfish will use them if they are ever attacked by an aggressive fish. Those rays are known to get stuck in the throats of larger fish that try to eat the catfish.

This can lead to serious injury or death! Author Note: You can also try pairing these fish with some of the popular types of freshwater aquarium snails as well. Breeding Upside Down Catfish is very difficult. Most of the fish you see in stores are either wild-caught or bred using reproductive hormones.

They are egg-laying fish that will usually spawn when spring rains occur. Unlike South American Corydoras catfish, both parents may be left in the tank after spawning, as they will tend to the brood. The eggs hatch in approximately two to three days and the fry will feed off the yolk sac, which they carry for an additional four days. Once the yolk sac has been consumed, they will begin eating freshly hatched brine shrimp.

They initially swim in the upright position before moving into the typical inverted position. After two months, the fry will begin swimming in the characteristic upside-down way.

If the upside-down catfish appeals to you, and you are interested in some compatible fish for your aquarium, read up on:. Check out additional fish species profiles for more information on other freshwater fish.

Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.

Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.

Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products.

List of Partners vendors. In This Article Expand. Colors and Markings. Scientists estimate that upside-down catfish have been working out their own survival strategy for as long at 35 million years. Besides their breathing and feeding behavior, the blotched upside-down catfish from the Congo Basin has also evolved a dark patch on its underside to make it harder to see against dark water.

So the mystery of the upside-down catfish persists, for now, as a puzzle for future scientists. Search-Icon Created with Sketch. KQED is a proud member of. Always free. Sign In. KQED Inform.