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Encyclopedia / Catfish & Plecos / Upside-down catfish
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Photo by Igor Balashov, CC BY · source · credits

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Upside-down catfish

Synodontis nigriventris · Upside down catfish, Synodontis

Peaceful, nocturnal, social.

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10 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
6–7.5pH ✓
70 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Upside-down catfish is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (24–28 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Upside-down catfish only grows to 10 cm.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (24–28 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

367 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓5–20 dGH
Group size ✓3 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–4 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful, nocturnal, social.

Food

Sinking pellets, frozen foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are thinner and darker than females; the genital papillae are too small to use.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Hard

Has been bred in aquariums but details are scarce; eggs are laid in a pit in the substrate or in a cave, and the parents tend the clutch.

Pairing

Buy a group of 6+ young fish and let them pair up. Sexing is difficult.

Setup

A large tank with caves and floating plants, soft slightly acidic water.

What starts it

Water changes and good feeding may help. Captive spawning is uncommon.

Eggs

Up to about 450 eggs reported; fry are free-swimming after about 4 days and swim upright until they turn upside down at 7-8 weeks.

Raising the fry

Feed infusoria, then baby brine shrimp. Raise fry in a separate tank.

Common mistakes
  • Expecting spawns from single fish
  • Keeping them in hard, old water
  • Not giving hiding caves
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionCongo River basin – DR Congo, Congo & Central African Republic
Rivers and lakesCentral Congo basin
HabitatSlow rivers and flooded forest with roots and wood
Native rangeAbout 800 km across
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The story of the upside-down catfish

Spends up to 90% of its time upside down, often feeding from the surface and resting under broad leaves and floating plants.

This small catfish was described in 1936 from the Congo basin and has been popular ever since. It spends much of its time swimming belly-up, feeding from the underside of leaves and the water surface. Its belly is darker than its back, the reverse of most fish, which suits its upside-down life.

First described by David in 1936. Named for 'Nigriventris' means black belly.

  • It often swims upside-down to feed from the undersides of leaves and the surface.
  • Its belly is darker than its back, reversing the usual fish colour pattern.
  • Young fish swim normally at first and adopt the upside-down habit as they grow.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources