Taxonomy & naming
George Albert Boulenger described the species in 1901. The Catalog of Fishes lists Synodontis caudovittatus as valid, with the type locality at the mouth of Lake No on the White Nile in Sudan. It belongs to Mochokidae, the squeaker catfishes, and the genus Synodontis is the largest in the family.
Morphology
FishBase gives a maximum length of 9 in TL. As in other Synodontis the body is deep at the front, the head is armoured with a bony shield, and the dorsal and pectoral fins carry strong spines. The epithet refers to a band or stripe on the tail fin.
Habitat
The species is recorded from the Nile River basin. FishBase lists it as a freshwater, mid-water to bottom fish and gives a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5, hardness up to 18 dH and a temperature of 70–75 °F. The type locality, the White Nile at Lake No, lies in what is now South Sudan.
Feeding
FishBase has no diet entry for this species. Related Synodontis eat insect larvae, snails, plant matter and detritus, and in the aquarium they accept sinking pellets and frozen foods.
Mating
FishBase records distinct pairing during breeding, a pattern shared with other mochokids.
Breeding
FishBase records the species as an egg-layer (oviparous). No account of spawning in captivity or of fry care is recorded.
In the aquarium
Keep it as one would a similar-sized Synodontis, in a roomy tank with caves and driftwood, a soft bottom and subdued light, at temperatures near the FishBase range. Fish this size can be boisterous with small tankmates, and the locking spines catch in nets, so move it in a container. Imports are uncommon and often sold under general Synodontis labels, so check the colour pattern against the tail-fin band before assuming the identification.
Conservation
IUCN lists the species as Data Deficient, assessed in 2009. The Nile basin is heavily used for fishing and water control, but no population trend is recorded for this fish.