The Malawi Spotted Squeaker, also called Malawi Spotted Syno, is the only "Syno" catfish native to Lake Malawi.
It can grow to 20cm long. Its better-known, paler relative, the Cuckoo Catfish is native to Lake Tanganyika, but the Malawi Syno is not
thought to be a brood parasite like the Cuckoo Syno as it spawns at night.
Synodontis catfishes of Africa are known as squeakers after the noise they make by rubbing pectoral spines
when upset. They are also called upsidedown catfish as it is often their feeding position.