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I think I asked this a long time ago (never really got an answer). Why is there such a slow growth in Tanganyikan Synos? The riverine Synos don't experience this. I at one point thought it was some type of dietary deficency but considering the fairly wide range of dietary preferences by the different species I'm not so sure anymore.

well, some riverines do grow very very slow.

but on the other hand they last ages as well.
for example Synodontis nigriventris and Synodontis flavitaeniatus take years and years to reach their fully maximum size.
these easily last 2 decades with good care.....

and to counter this: there ARE Tanganyikan Syno's that grow faster than the slow growing petricola's, lucupinnis or granulosus.
the multipunctatus is a fairly quick growing species, often reaching 4" in 3 years wich is fast growth for a Tanganyikan Syno.

maybe it's just another approach to a niche. in a lake this size the environment has only slow changes, and few swift intense seasonal changes. in a river a fish should grow fast; in 6 months there's a change of season and foodsources drop, often to zero.
in the lake this doesn't happen, so there is no "need" to grow fast. many Tanganyikan Syno's have a fairly large part of mollusk in their diet and these are abundant.
Also: bigger Syno's are in direct competition with the many cichlids and larger catfish-species in the lake. Tanganyika houses several large Bagrids, Clariids, Claroteids etc.
a small Syno; or a big one that stays smaller for a longer time, can use different foodsources and also......it can fit in shells, nooks and cranny's where the bigger ones can't go.

that might also be the cause why several species in Lake Tanganyika have a big "regular" variety (or species) and a small "dwarf" species! this is like betting on two horses instead of one.
compare S multipunctatus with S grandiops; S dhonti with S irsacae; S petricola with S lucipinnis etc.
lots of niches for tiny cats, and lots of niches for slowgrowing younsters of bigger species that can take profit from that same niche for years.

My buddy spawned some Synodontis multipunctatus 4/01/06 and sold me 6
of them awhile back. At the present time they are 3.5" so 3.5 inches of growth
in the last 13 months. It's my belief that Synodontis multipunctatus are faster
growing then most of the other Synos and S. petricola in my experience grow
much slower then S. multipunctatus. The S. multipunctatus eat huge amounts
of food and I feed them several times during the day and a big feed at night
just before I go to bed. Slow growth can be not enough or not the right types
of food in my opinion.

Jackster wrote:My buddy spawned some Synodontis multipunctatus 4/01/06 and sold me 6
of them awhile back. At the present time they are 3.5" so 3.5 inches of growth
in the last 13 months. It's my belief that Synodontis multipunctatus are faster
growing then most of the other Synos and S. petricola in my experience grow
much slower then S. multipunctatus. The S. multipunctatus eat huge amounts
of food and I feed them several times during the day and a big feed at night
just before I go to bed. Slow growth can be not enough or not the right types
of food in my opinion.

I agree completely, as I have also spawned and raised both petricolas and multipunctatus.