Mormyrops (Mormyrops) curtus Boulenger, 1899
Species overview
Large fish, body moderately elongate, rather deep, head with concave upper profile and underside, snout rounded, mouth terminal; small dark dots forming longitudinal lines all along the purplish brown body. Size observed: 377 mm SL, 404 mm TL.
M. curtus(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately elongate, moderately laterally compressed, cross section oblong-oval, body depth 21-24 % SL, greatest depth in anterior half of body.
-Head length 25-31% SL, head depth 16-19 % SL, 67-88 % body depth.
-Outline of back more or less straight with a slight peak at origin of dorsal fin, outline of belly slightly convex. Upper profile of head concave, reminding head of a pike, underside of head under snout concave, further behind slightly convex.
-Snout long, rounded, 16-22 % head length, 24-31 % postorbital length.
-Mouth wide, 17-21 % head length, terminal, its edge below posterior nostril, edge of upper jaw on a level with upper edge base of pectoral fin.
-Chin with moderate submental swelling, upper and lower jaw of about equal depth.
-Teeth truncate, in closed lines, 22-24/22-24.
-Nostrils separate, circular, both on a level with centre of eye, much closer to each other than to eye, their axis running parallel to axis of head.
-Eye diameter 5-7 % head length, 7-10 % postorbital length.
-Opercular cleft curved, 32-35 % head length, 33-62 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 24-25 fin-rays, base of D 16-19 % SL, anal fin 40-43 rays, base of A 28-34 % SL, origin of D well behind A, end of D well before end of A; predorsal length 68-73 % SL, preanal length 58-68 % SL.
-Pectoral fin rounded, extending nearly to base of pelvic fin. V is closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin rather obtusely pointed, the scaled lobes are rounded and extend over 3/4 of the fin. 63-67 scales in lateral line; 16 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle very short, 6-11 % SL, its depth 5-6 % SL, 44-71 % its length.
-Coloration »Purplish brown, lighter beneath [countershaded], with darker blotches or marblings, or with small dark spots forming longitudinal lines«.
Type locality
»Boma« Democratic Republic of Congo. (05° 51 ‘ S 13° 03 ‘ E).
Distribution
Lower Congo River.