stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked". The number of teeth on the mandible is used to differentiate between species; in S. multimaculatus, there are about 30 teeth on the mandible. The body color is brown, with large, darker round spots. Smaller spots appear on the ventral, anal, and caudal fins. Large spots appear on the dorsal fin. The maximum standard length of the species is . Generally, females in the genus Synodontis tend to be slightly larger than males of the same age. Habitat and behavior In the wild, the species has been found only in the area of Mobayi-Mbongo in the Ubangi River. It inhabits muddy bottoms down to at least in lakes. The reproductive habits of most of the species of Synodontis are not known, beyond some instances of obtaining egg counts from gravid females. Spawning likely occurs during the flooding season between July and October, and pairs swim in unison during spawning. As a whole, species of Synodontis are omnivores, consuming insect larvae, algae, gastropods, bivalves, sponges, crustaceans, and the eggs of other fishes. The growth rate is rapid in the first year, then slows down as the fish age. References External links multimaculatus Freshwater fish of Africa Fish of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Endemic fauna of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Fish described in 1902