Synodontis nigromaculatus, known as the spotted squeaker, the blackspotted squeaker, or the speckled squeaker, is a species of upside-down catfish that is found widely in southern Africa. It has been identified in Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1905, from specimens collected in Lake Bangweulu in Zambia. Description Like all members of the genus Synodontis, S. nigromaculatus has a strong, bony head capsule that extends back as far as the first spine of the dorsal fin. The head contains a distinct narrow, bony, external protrusion called a humeral process. The shape and size of the humeral process helps to identify the species. In S. nigromaculatus, the humeral process is long, without a distinct keel, and ends in a sharp point. The fish has three pairs of barbels. The maxillary barbels are on located on the upper jaw, and two pairs of mandibular barbels are on the lower jaw. The maxillary barbel is long and straight without any branches, with a narrow membrane at the base. It extends times the length of the head. The outer pair of mandibular barbels is about twice the length of the inner pair, and both pairs have long, slender branches. The front edges of the dorsal fins and the pectoral fins of Syntontis species are hardened into stiff spines. In S. nigromaculatus, the spine of the dorsal fin is straight and long, about as long as the head, smooth in the front and serrated on the back. The remaining portion of the dorsal fin is made up of seven branching rays. The spine of the pectoral fin is about the same length as the dorsal spine, and serrated on both sides. The adipose fin is 4 times as long as it is deep. The anal fin contains four unbranched and seven branched rays. The tail, or caudal fin, is deeply forked, with the upper lobe being longer. All members of Syndontis have a structure called a premaxillary toothpad, which is located on the very front of the upper jaw of the mouth. This structure contains several rows of short, chisel-shaped teeth. In S. nigromaculatus, the toothpad forms a short and broad band. On the lower jaw, or mandible, the teeth of Syndontis are attached to flexible, stalk-like structures and described as "s-shaped" or "hooked". The