<mods:titleid="EF4B931DB8CE7DCBDA48E8D38999BD9C">Revised taxonomy of Synodontis catfishes (Siluriformes: Mochokidae) from the Lake Tanganyika basin reveals lower species diversity than expected</mods:title>
<mods:affiliationid="BF0F5C5786A0F7D0CF990C6A9B8A9BC5">Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic & Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, A- 1010 Vienna, Austria</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="BF5F644F1CFE0C4F6A1795A16E1DB8A1">Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic & Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="6193AECCF085FDCE6DF4440382ADB636">Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A- 8010 Graz, Austria</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="556E15B66D1A6618F45BD67B6EF873F1">Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="766D692F105E5A7D4ECCDEA853738F9F">Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="C4906A24BF570F233456097E7BED6FD0">Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="0FE493301A6DE7F0E5EC29601C36FEBC">Tanzanian Fisheries Research Institute, Kigoma Office, PO Box 90, Kigoma, Tanzania</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="BBDCC0207D1611E6D2A1E77664B6AB57">Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="C4C1319DE596334700AEAFF556FD91F6">Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="FDBAE1B647642A16D07418232C786B3F">Lake Tanganyika Research Unit, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, PO Box 420055, Mpulungu, Zambia</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="B23EDD49B916C1CAE6DB7051B3C7A552">Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A- 8010 Graz, Austria</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="71FF5DA284E8C23C2CC06F17C37AD862">Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, A- 1010 Vienna, Austria & Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI- 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia</mods:affiliation>
<mods:affiliationid="D28BACB46139BB27D958E687C31F9D28">Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic & Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic & Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland</mods:affiliation>
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFD96C1FFC42FE35CC8637EC"box="[933,1004,419,445]"captionStart="Figure 14"captionStartId="31.[113,178,1096,1120]"captionTargetBox="[146,1426,144,1067]"captionTargetId="figure-456@31.[146,1426,143,1067]"captionTargetPageId="31"captionText="Figure 14. General appearance of Synodontis melanostictus and shape of humeral process (inset: white outline). A, NMW 100724 (specimen 21-ZM-252), 121.0 mm SL, Ndole Bay, Lake Tanganyika. B, BMNH 1906.9.8.72, 237.0 mm SL, holotype, S. melanostictus, Lofu, Lake Tanganyika basin."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453799"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453799/files/figure.png"pageId="30"pageNumber="31">Fig. 14</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFD96C1FFAE5FE35CA3C37EC"box="[1282,1366,419,445]"captionStart="Figure 10"captionStartId="22.[129,194,1383,1407]"captionTargetBox="[162,1442,145,1355]"captionTargetId="figure-264@22.[161,1443,144,1356]"captionTargetPageId="22"captionText="Figure 10. General appearance of Synodontis petricola and shape of humeral process (inset: white outline). A, ‘petricola phenotype’, NMW 100713 (specimen 23-TZ-56), 111.0 mm SL, Nondwa Point, Kigoma.B, ‘lucipinnis phenotype’, NMW 100715 (specimen 23-TZ-41), 114.2 mm SL, Hilltop, Kigoma. C, ‘dark phenotype’, NMW 100710 (specimen 22-ZM-531), 78.5 mm SL, Kalambo."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453789"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453789/files/figure.png"pageId="30"pageNumber="31">Fig. S10</figureCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="A11813B4FFD96C1FFABEFE5FCC1D3450"author="Boulenger GA"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"pagination="537 - 601"refId="ref33108"refString="Boulenger GA. Fourth contribution to the ichthyology of Lake Tanganyika. Report on the collection of fishes made by Dr. W. A. Cunnington during the Third Tanganyika Expedition, 1904 - 1905. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 1906 a; 17 (1): 537 - 601."type="journal article"year="1906">Boulenger 1906a</bibRefCitation>
<emphasisid="F7FDB257FFD96C1FFCDEFDB4CBF0346B"box="[825,1178,546,570]"italics="true"pageId="30"pageNumber="31">Material examined: Type material:</emphasis>
<specimenCodeid="952FC63EFFD96C1FFBF7FD0CCBA334E3"box="[1040,1225,666,690]"collectionCode="MRAC"country="Belgium"httpUri="http://grbio.org/cool/z14b-bb31"name="Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"type="Museum">MRAC 1996.083</specimenCode>
<materialsCitationid="75E16418FFD96C1FFCDCFD6ECC05351F"collectionCode="MRAC"collectorName="Leleup"country="Democratic Republic of the Congo"location="Uvira"municipality="Lake Tanganyika"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"specimenCode="MRAC 126293-126294"specimenCount="1">
<specimenCodeid="952FC63EFFD96C1FFCDCFD6ECB583541"box="[827,1074,760,784]"collectionCode="MRAC"country="Belgium"httpUri="http://grbio.org/cool/z14b-bb31"name="Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"type="Museum">MRAC 126293-126294</specimenCode>
<locationid="C056389EFFD96C1FFAADFD6ECAEF3541"LSID="urn:lsid:plazi:treatment:4D20DF53FFD96C21FC41FEF2CD933332:C056389EFFD96C1FFAADFD6ECAEF3541"box="[1354,1413,760,784]"country="Democratic Republic of the Congo"municipality="Lake Tanganyika"name="Uvira"pageId="30"pageNumber="31">Uvira</location>
<collectingCountryid="BD9E2ED5FFD96C1FFC58FC81CA5D357E"box="[959,1335,791,815]"name="Democratic Republic of the Congo"pageId="30"pageNumber="31">Democratic Republic of the Congo</collectingCountry>
<materialsCitationid="75E16418FFD96C1FFC65FCA1CA0C353F"collectionCode="MRAC"collectorName="Marlier & Leleup"country="Burundi"location="Petite Ruzizi"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"specimenCode="MRAC 100515-100517"specimenCount="1">
<specimenCodeid="952FC63EFFD96C1FFC65FCA1CBED351F"box="[898,1159,822,847]"collectionCode="MRAC"country="Belgium"httpUri="http://grbio.org/cool/z14b-bb31"name="Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"type="Museum">MRAC 100515–100517</specimenCode>
<materialsCitationid="75E16418FFD96C1FFA90FCC0CCA935FD"collectionCode="MRAC"collectorName="Marlier & Leleup"country="Burundi"location="Petite Ruzizi"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"specimenCode="MRAC 100518"specimenCount="1">
<specimenCodeid="952FC63EFFD96C1FFA90FCC0CCE335DC"collectionCode="MRAC"country="Belgium"httpUri="http://grbio.org/cool/z14b-bb31"name="Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"type="Museum">MRAC 100518</specimenCode>
<specimenCodeid="952FC63EFFD96C1FFC29FC03CBEC35FC"box="[974,1158,917,941]"collectionCode="MRAC"country="Belgium"httpUri="http://grbio.org/cool/z14b-bb31"name="Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"type="Museum">MRAC 2011.003</specimenCode>
<specimenCodeid="952FC63EFFD96C1FFA9DFC45CCCA325A"collectionCode="MRAC"country="Belgium"httpUri="http://grbio.org/cool/z14b-bb31"name="Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"type="Museum">MRAC 2011.003</specimenCode>
<materialsCitationid="75E16418FFD96C1FFB9EFBA7CB0B32F6"collectionCode="MRAC"collectorName="Nyamwikinga & Banyankimbona"country="Burundi"county="Nyabantu"elevation="1000"location="Riv. Malagarazi"municipality="Mutwana"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"specimenCode="MRAC 2010.003"specimenCount="1">
<specimenCodeid="952FC63EFFD96C1FFB9EFBA7CA5D3218"box="[1145,1335,1073,1097]"collectionCode="MRAC"country="Belgium"httpUri="http://grbio.org/cool/z14b-bb31"name="Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"type="Museum">MRAC 2010.003</specimenCode>
<materialsCitationid="75E16418FFD96C1FFB96FB06CAD432B7"collectionCode="NMW"collectorName="Reichard & Zimmermann & Polacik & Bartakova"country="Zambia"latitude="-8.476417"location="Ndole Bay"longLatPrecision="1"longitude="30.449915"municipality="Lake Tanganyika"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"specimenCode="NMW 100724"specimenCount="1">
<materialsCitationid="75E16418FFD96C1FFCDEFB78CA193315"collectionCode="NMW"collectorName="Reichard & Blazek & Zimmermann & Bartakova"country="Zambia"latitude="-8.597872"location="Kalambo River"longLatPrecision="1"longitude="31.184155"municipality="Chipwa"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"specimenCode="NMW 100725"specimenCount="1">
<materialsCitationid="75E16418FFD96C1FFA98FABACA083390"collectionCode="NMW"collectorName="Blazek & Zimmermann & Bartakova & Polacik & Koch"country="Zambia"latitude="-8.623584"location="Kalambo Falls"longLatPrecision="1"longitude="31.19986"municipality="Lake Tanganyika"pageId="30"pageNumber="31"specimenCode="NMW 100726, NMW 100785"specimenCount="1">
is distinguished from congeners in the LT basin by a unique combination of characters: axillary pore absent; no granular papillae on head, body, and fins; dorsal spine unpigmented, only its flexible tip pigmented and black; anal fin with abundant brown spots; 23–38 (median 31) mandibular teeth, commonly arranged in four symmetric rows of replacement teeth; 34–64 (median 46) primary premaxillary teeth; 4–7 (median 6) secondary branches on inner mandibular barbels; and 41–44 (median 42) total vertebrae, with 22–24 (median 23) caudal vertebrae.
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFD96C1FFCB4F8AFCCDE3100"box="[851,948,1849,1873]"captionStart="Figure 14"captionStartId="31.[113,178,1096,1120]"captionTargetBox="[146,1426,144,1067]"captionTargetId="figure-456@31.[146,1426,143,1067]"captionTargetPageId="31"captionText="Figure 14. General appearance of Synodontis melanostictus and shape of humeral process (inset: white outline). A, NMW 100724 (specimen 21-ZM-252), 121.0 mm SL, Ndole Bay, Lake Tanganyika. B, BMNH 1906.9.8.72, 237.0 mm SL, holotype, S. melanostictus, Lofu, Lake Tanganyika basin."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453799"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453799/files/figure.png"pageId="30"pageNumber="31">Figure 14</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFD96C1FFB03F8AFCA393100"box="[1252,1363,1849,1873]"captionStart="Figure 10"captionStartId="22.[129,194,1383,1407]"captionTargetBox="[162,1442,145,1355]"captionTargetId="figure-264@22.[161,1443,144,1356]"captionTargetPageId="22"captionText="Figure 10. General appearance of Synodontis petricola and shape of humeral process (inset: white outline). A, ‘petricola phenotype’, NMW 100713 (specimen 23-TZ-56), 111.0 mm SL, Nondwa Point, Kigoma.B, ‘lucipinnis phenotype’, NMW 100715 (specimen 23-TZ-41), 114.2 mm SL, Hilltop, Kigoma. C, ‘dark phenotype’, NMW 100710 (specimen 22-ZM-531), 78.5 mm SL, Kalambo."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453789"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453789/files/figure.png"pageId="30"pageNumber="31">Figure S10</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFD96C1FFB46F8CFCA5D3121"box="[1185,1335,1881,1905]"captionStart="Figure 8"captionStartId="18.[129,194,1615,1639]"captionTargetBox="[161,1441,144,1587]"captionTargetId="figure-134@18.[161,1441,144,1587]"captionTargetPageId="18"captionText="Figure 8. General appearance of Synodontis multipunctatus and shape of humeral process (inset: white outline). A, NMW 100756 (specimen 23-TZ-331), 116.3 mm SL, Cape Kabogo. B, BMNH 1898.9.9.76, holotype, S.multipunctatus, 222.5 mm SL, Sumbu. C, BMNH 1936.6.15.1206-1226, 214.9 mm SL, Kibanga Bay."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453783"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453783/files/figure.png"pageId="30"pageNumber="31">Figure S8O, P</figureCitation>
). Body slender, moderately compressed laterally. Dorsal head profile and predorsal back rising straight to dorsal-fin origin at an angle of 21° (against midline of body). Postdorsal profile falling straight or slightly concave to adipose fin origin and slightly convex to caudal-fin origin. Body depth at anal-fin insertion slightly shorter than body depth at dorsal-fin origin. Head dorsoventrally compressed; depth at posterior eye margin usually smaller than maximal cranium width. Snout usually longer than half of head length. Mouth subterminal, with abundant papillae on lips; width 72.1%–91.6% of snout length. Eye diameter usually one-third of snout length.
Abundant non-granular papillae on head, extending on body and fins. Thick layer of mucus covering skin in first two-thirds of body on lateral side. Occipitonuchal shield and humeral process deeply rugose and of granular texture. Humeral process broad and triangular in shape, upper margin usually concave; maximal depth 31.7%–44.7% (
Adipose fin well demarcated, its highest point usually above dorsal-fin origin; basal length 27.8%–34.5% SL, extending over 55.2%–68.8% of distance between dorsal-fin insertion and end of caudal peduncle. Adipose-fin insertion close to end of caudal peduncle. Dorsal fin with two unbranched and seven branched rays; dorsal spine densely serrated on lower anterior edge, poorly marked serrations on upper anterior edge, posterior edge with 9–12 serrae; length of dorsal spine, excluding upper flexible part, 79.2%–100.0% of head length. Anal fin with five unbranched rays and eight or nine branched rays; longest rays reaching beyond level of posterior edge of adipose fin. Pelvic fin with a single unbranched ray and six branched rays. Pectoral fin with a single unbranched ray and commonly nine branched rays; pectoral spine densely serrated on anterior (30–45 serrae) and posterior (13–24 serrae) edges. Pectoral fin longer than pectoral–pelvic distance and reaching above pelvic-fin origin in folded position. Caudal fin forked, with 2 + 15 principal rays; number of upper procurrent rays (10– 12, median 11,
SL, NMW 100785) originating at centre between eyes and extending beyond posterior margin of mesethmoid; shape oval and narrow, anterior and posterior margins rounded; length shorter than interorbital distance between frontal margins; resembling state B in the paper by
<bibRefCitationid="A11813B4FFE76C21FE2FFEFDCD3837D2"author="Pinton A"box="[456,594,363,387]"pageId="32"pageNumber="33"refId="ref35389"refString="Pinton A. Anatomie, systematique et phylogenie de poissons Synodontis actuels et fossiles (Siluriformes, Mochokidae): implications dans la paleobiogeographie intracontinentale neogene d'Afrique. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, University of Poitiers, 2008."type="book"year="2008">Pinton (2008</bibRefCitation>
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFE76C21FD87FDF7CDD33428"box="[608,697,609,633]"captionStart="Figure 10"captionStartId="22.[129,194,1383,1407]"captionTargetBox="[162,1442,145,1355]"captionTargetId="figure-264@22.[161,1443,144,1356]"captionTargetPageId="22"captionText="Figure 10. General appearance of Synodontis petricola and shape of humeral process (inset: white outline). A, ‘petricola phenotype’, NMW 100713 (specimen 23-TZ-56), 111.0 mm SL, Nondwa Point, Kigoma.B, ‘lucipinnis phenotype’, NMW 100715 (specimen 23-TZ-41), 114.2 mm SL, Hilltop, Kigoma. C, ‘dark phenotype’, NMW 100710 (specimen 22-ZM-531), 78.5 mm SL, Kalambo."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453789"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453789/files/figure.png"pageId="32"pageNumber="33">Fig. S10</figureCitation>
), body coloration usually brownish grey, sometimes yellowish. Head, body, and fins covered with abundant black or dark brown spots of variable size/shape; spots smallest and most dense on head, less abundant or absent on ventral side. Smaller specimens with larger and less numerous spots. Dorsal spine unpigmented, only its flexible tip pigmented and black. Maxillary and mandibular barbels usually unpigmented, base of maxillary barbels pigmented and darker.
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFE76C21FF38FC0CCE5D35E3"box="[223,311,922,946]"captionStart="Figure 14"captionStartId="31.[113,178,1096,1120]"captionTargetBox="[146,1426,144,1067]"captionTargetId="figure-456@31.[146,1426,143,1067]"captionTargetPageId="31"captionText="Figure 14. General appearance of Synodontis melanostictus and shape of humeral process (inset: white outline). A, NMW 100724 (specimen 21-ZM-252), 121.0 mm SL, Ndole Bay, Lake Tanganyika. B, BMNH 1906.9.8.72, 237.0 mm SL, holotype, S. melanostictus, Lofu, Lake Tanganyika basin."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453799"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453799/files/figure.png"pageId="32"pageNumber="33">Fig. 14A</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFE76C21FD90FC6ECDA63241"box="[631,716,1016,1040]"captionStart="Figure 14"captionStartId="31.[113,178,1096,1120]"captionTargetBox="[146,1426,144,1067]"captionTargetId="figure-456@31.[146,1426,143,1067]"captionTargetPageId="31"captionText="Figure 14. General appearance of Synodontis melanostictus and shape of humeral process (inset: white outline). A, NMW 100724 (specimen 21-ZM-252), 121.0 mm SL, Ndole Bay, Lake Tanganyika. B, BMNH 1906.9.8.72, 237.0 mm SL, holotype, S. melanostictus, Lofu, Lake Tanganyika basin."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453799"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453799/files/figure.png"pageId="32"pageNumber="33">Fig. 14B</figureCitation>
<figureCitationid="5DB272C0FFE76C21FD59FB19CD9332F6"box="[702,761,1167,1191]"captionStart="Figure 1"captionStartId="3.[113,178,1592,1616]"captionTargetBox="[114,1458,144,1563]"captionTargetId="graphics-191@3.[127,1422,144,1563]"captionTargetPageId="3"captionText="Figure 1. Map of the Lake Tanganyika basin, including distinct deep-water basins (northern, central, and southern basins) and sampling sites of all examined specimens.Taxonomic diversity of Synodontis species is based on the studies by Poll (1971) and Wright and Page (2006)."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14453765"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/14453765/files/figure.png"pageId="32"pageNumber="33">Fig. 1</figureCitation>
), where it is reported from the lower reaches of tributaries (e.g. Petite Rusizi, Malagarasi, Kalambo, and Lufubu) and the littoral zone of the lake. Uncertain occurrence in Lake Mweru Wantipa. We observed
in the littoral zone near aquatic macrophytes over sandy or muddy bottom. The species seems to be nocturnal and might be most abundant in river estuaries.
