the mandible is used to differentiate between species; in S. pardalis, there are about 15 to 20 teeth on the mandible. The base body color is pale brown, becoming lighter toward the underside. The head has many small, round, dark brown spots. The body has large round dark brown spots, the base color between the spots forming a light network. The fins are white with horizontal black bands; 5 to 7 across the dorsal fin, 3 or 4 on the ventral and anal fins, and 7 to 11 on the caudal fin. The maximum total 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 only been found in the Dja River and its tributary, the Libi River in the Central Congo River basin. Its habitat is threatened by cobalt mining on the Dja river. The species is harvested for human consumption. 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. The growth rate is rapid in the first year, then slows down as the fish age. References External links pardalis Freshwater fish of Africa Fish of Cameroon Endemic fauna of Cameroon Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Fish described in 1908