BULLETIN FLORIDA MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 46(4)


transverse rows. Premaxillary toothpad interrupted;
primary, secondary and tertiary premaxillary teeth dis-
crete, numerous, arranged in 2, 2, and 1 irregular rows,
respectively.
 Maxillary barbel short; extending at least to base
of pectoral spine; small papillae at base; basal mem-
brane narrow. Lateral mandibular barbel extending to
point just past anterior margin of pectoral girdle; with 4-
7 short, simple, weakly tuberculate branches; usually
lacking secondary branches. Medial mandibular barbel
approximately 1/3 to 2/3 length of lateral barbel; with 4-
6 pairs of tuberculate branches; many secondary
branches present.
 Dorsal fin 11,7; posterior margin straight to slightly
concave. Dorsal-fin spine long, striated, slightly curved,
terminating in a short, white filament; anterior margin of
fin spine smooth; posterior margin with small serrations
distally. Pectoral fin 1,8-9; posterior margin broadly
rounded. Pectoral-fin spine roughly equal in length to
dorsal-fin spine, striated, slightly curved, terminating in
short, white filament; anterior spine margin smooth; pos-
terior margin with large, retrorse serrations along entire
length. Adipose fin long, well developed, margin con-
vex. Pelvic fin i,6; located at vertical midway between
posterior base of dorsal fin and origin of adipose fin; tip
of appressed fin does not reach base of anal fin. Anal
fin iii-iv,7-9; posterior margin rounded; base located at
vertical through center of adipose fin. Caudal fin i,7,8,i;
forked; lobes rounded.
 Humeral process triangular; granulous; covered
with many small, villous papillae; poorly-developed ridge
on ventral margin; dorsal margin convex; terminating in
a sharp point (Fig. 3D). Axillary pore small. Gut 1.2-
1.3 times body length (n = 2, MRAC A3-033-P-0002-
0011). Well developed hindgut chamber.
 Coloration in alcohol. Dorsum yellowish to cu-
prous brown, covered with large, irregularly shaped,
black spots (Fig. 25). Spots proportionately larger, some-
times confluent in juvenile specimens. Belly lighter, with
small, irregularly shaped spots. Maxillary and mandibu-
lar barbels white. Iris copper colored. Dorsal and pec-
toral-fin spines white; terminating in short, white fila-
ments. All rayed fins with black triangles at base; pos-
terior margins white. Both lobes of caudal fin with black
bars, extending from base to tip of fin; posterior margin
white.
 Distribution. Lake Tanganyika (Fig. 26). The
large amount of material available in museum collec-
tions suggests that this species is more common than
previously thought (Matthes 1959; Coulter 1991 a).
 Habitat. Rocky coasts within the littoral zone, to
a maximum depth of 30 m (Matthes 1959; Coulter 1991a).


28' 30'


 km
0 50 100


Figure 26. Known distribution of Synodontis petricola.
T denotes type locality.


 Diet. Young individuals appear to be primarily
carnivorous, subsisting mainly on hydracarians, ostra-
cods and insect larvae trichopteranss, chironomids)
(Matthes 1959). Adults feed on algae scraped from
rocky substrates, and small invertebrates (Matthes 1959,
Coulter 1991 a).
 Reproduction. No information exists on the
spawning behavior of this species. One female speci-
men was found to contain approximately 100 eggs
(Matthes 1959).
 Taxonomic Remarks. Synodontis petricola is
sufficiently distinct that there has been little confusion
regarding its taxonomy. Synodontis petricola shows
considerable variation in the nature of its spotted pat-
tern, with the size and spacing of the spots varying con-
siderably, even among specimens from the same local-
ity.

 Synodontis polli Gosse, 1982
 (Figs. 5C, 15, 27, 28; Tables 2, 12)

Synodontis eurystomus Matthes, 1959:77, description,
 Lake Tanganyika; 1962:31, pl. 1, figs. B, C, descrip-
 tion, diet, Lake Tanganyika. Poll, 1971:405, figs.
 190, 191, pls. VII.1, XII.8, description. Brichard,