PlanetCatfish.com

Hi,
just joined. I have a synodontis schoutedeni or robbianus and I have had him for 15 1/2 years. How much longer can I expect him to live? Unfortunately due to a burst tank I lost my 2 other synos a year or so ago.
Alison

15 years or so is good going, but I would expect (from what I've read) that they will live to around 20, larger Syno's can live to 30 or so... Of course, for wild-caughts, you never really know how old they are when you get them, unless they are small (in which case they are obviously not very old... )

they are said to reach 20 years old or more...

I hope my syno lives that long.



BTW what type of catfish is in your avatar Jorge.

This is the only type of fish that has never died on me. Even survived tank disasters and being left in the care of others for over a year. Oldest I have seen personaly 23 years.

My longest lived catfish was a Synodontis ornatus which died about 2 months ago. I am reasonably sure that I bought him somewhere around 1987/88 as a back then already fully grown specimen.
I still have another Synodontis species bought around the same time (I think some months later; it's been awhile) and he seems quite lively yet ;)
So from personal experience I would say that 20+ years life-expectancy isn't that uncommon for at least the larger species of Synodontis.

Regards,
Joachim

I have a decorus that was about 4in when I bought him that is 21 years and still active , and seems to be doing well.

I have two or three rather aged Synodontis.

The first one is a male Synodontis multipunctatus. This fish was imported as a wildcaught specimen in 1981. He is still going strong and reproducing.

I also received a female with this shipment. Unfortunately, she blended in with the other fish that I have since obtained/raised, so I can't say for certain if she is still with us.

The other is a Synodontis petricola that was imported in 1982. She is doing quite well, though she's not seen another petricola in her years with me.

I also have a number of multipunctatus that I've raised up from the first pair. I didn't track them, but given the very low mortality rate I've had with them over the years, there must be some that are around 20 years old now as well.