Gnathonemus echidnorhynchus Pellegrin, 1924
Species overview
Medium sized fish, moderately elongate; head sharp-snouted, snout pointed, straight, upper profile of head and underside of head concave, terminal mouth with long barbel. Light brown, faint trace of darker bar between unpaired fins. Size observed: 234 mm SL, 272 mm TL.
G. echidnorhyn.(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately elongate and deep, laterally compressed body depth 22-24 % SL, greatest depth between pelvic and anal fin, head length 29-32 % SL, head depth 15-18 % SL, 70-80 % body depth.
-Outlines of back and belly slightly convex, upper profile of head and underside of head concave.
-Snout pointed funnel-shaped, 36- 40 % head length, 68-76 % postorbital length.
-Mouth small, terminal, edge of mouth far away from anterior nostril, upper jaw on level with centre of eye.
-Chin slightly thickened, bearing a long, cylindrical, tapering barbel, a little shorter than snout length.
-Teeth small, notched, 4-5/5-10.
-Nostrils separate, posterior oval, anterior nostril above posterior which is on level of centre of eye; axis of nostrils cutting axis of head at an angle of about 60°.
-Eye small, 7-10 % head length.
-Opercular cleft curved, about 66 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 26-27 fin-rays, base of D 24-27 % SL, anal fin 32-33 rays, base of A 27-30 % SL, D originating behind origin of A, ending before end of A; predorsal length 65-67 % SL, preanal length 58-64 % SL. Base of pectoral fin at lower half of opercular cleft; P obtusely pointed, extends beyond middle of pelvic fin, V closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin with long, pointed scaled lobes, membranous part rather obtusely pointed. 65-69 scales in lateral line, 12 round caudal peduncle, which measures 14-18 % SL in length, in depth 5-6 % SL, 31-39 % its length.
-Coloration Yellowish brown all over, with faint traces of a darker band between D and A, fins brownish.
Type locality
»Kamaiembi (Kasaï)« Democratic Republic of Congo
Distribution
»Zaïre (Congo) basin«.