Synodontis multipunctatus is endemic to Lake Tanganyika. In the wild, this catfish is found in large schools, at depths of 40 meters or more. It seems that they like the diminished light of this depth; however, they are not necessarily nocturnal, even though it may appear this way in your light-flooded tank. When out of their caves, they swim very quickly and spasmodically, as if they are fearful of being attacked by the Cichlids. As a consequence, they have been next to impossible to photograph. S. multipunctatus enjoys a variety of foods, including flakes, pellets, brine shrimp, plankton, bloodworms, and krill. A temperature between 74 and 78 is preferable. This catfish does extremely well with other African Cichlids. It is also one of the very few African catfish that have been bred in captivity.

The most interesting thing about this catfish is its unusual spawning behaviour, which includes utilizing mouth-brooding Cichlids as foster parents for their fry. Unlike Cichlids, who spawn at very young ages, it takes about a year once S. multipunctatus have reached their adult size (3-5 years in all) before they will spawn. When 2 Cichlids begin to spawn, these catfish will come pouring out of their caves.

The unsuspecting Cichlids will continue to spawn, while the male Cichlid will attempt to drive the cats away. Notwithstanding, the catfish will snatch a Cichlid egg each time they are dropped, faster than the mother can pick them up. And, as they eat the Cichlid eggs, they drop their own. In her haste to pick up her eggs, the female Cichlid will pick up the eggs of the S. multis and incubate the catfish eggs along with whatever eggs of her own she was able to secure.