Synodontis pardalis is a species of upside-down catfish that is endemic to Cameroon where it occurs in the Dja River drainage. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1908, from specimens collected in the Dja River in southern Cameroon. The species name pardalis is derived from the Greek word pardalis, which means "leopard", which refers to the spotted pattern on the fish. Description Like all members of the genus Synodontis, S. pardalis 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. pardalis, the humeral process is rough, a little longer than it is broad, with a ridge on the bottom edge, and obtusely pointed. 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 very thin membrane at the base. It extends as long or slightly shorter than the head. The outer pair of mandibular barbels is a little under twice the length of the inner pair. They have short branches. The front edges of the dorsal fins and the pectoral fins of Syntontis species are hardened into stiff spines. In S. pardalis, the spine of the dorsal fin is about as long as the head, slightly curved, 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 serrated on both sides. The adipose fin is 3 to 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, and crescent-shaped. 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. pardalis, 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 number of teeth on