Hippopotamyrus paugyi Lévêque and Bigorne, 1985
Species overview
Medium-sized fish, moderately elongate back evenly curved, head round-snouted, snout moderately bent down, protruding mouth; mouth inferior, chin prominent, fleshy. -Body dark, marbled, fins with dark markings. Size observed: 250 mm SL.
H. paugyi(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately elongate, laterally compressed, body depth 19-23 % SL, greatest depth between dorsal and pelvic fin.
-Head short, 19-20 % SL, head depth little less than body depth.
-Outline of back slightly convex, upper profile of head strongly convex, underside of head concave, outline of belly slightly convex.
-Snout rounded, protruding mouth, 27-28 % head length.
-Mouth inferior, its edge below posterior nostril, upper jaw between base of P and underside of head.
-Chin with moderate submental swelling.
-Teeth notched, 5/6.
-Nostrils separate, circular, more or less in line with axis of body, a little below eye or at a level with its lower rim; axis of nostrils cutting axis of head at an angle of less than 30°.
-Eye large, 21-26 % head length.
-Opercular cleft curved, about 1/3 head depth.
-Dorsal fin 29-34 fin-rays, base of D 27-31 % SL, anal fin 26-33 rays, base of A 24-28 % SL. Origin of D before origin of A, ending behind end of A. Predorsal length 51-58 % SL, preanal length 55-57 % SL.
-Pectoral fin pointed, extending beyond base of pelvic fin; V closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin pointed, both scaled and membranous lobes. 74-84 scales in lateral line, 11-13 scales between lateral line and dorsal fin, 12-14 between lateral line and pelvic fin. 12 scales round caudal peduncle which is short, its depth 20-33 % its length.
-Coloration -Body dark, more or less marbled, a much darker band, more or less visible in a particular specimen between the anterior parts of D and A, continuing on the anterior rays of both fins, base of remaining rays dark, margins of fins lighter. Base of caudal fin dark, membranous part lighter.
Type locality
»Rivière Kolenté à Kolenté (Guinée)« (Kolonte river 08° 55 ‘ N 13° 08 ‘ W.)
Distribution
Along the atlantic slope of the Guinean massif, Guinea, Sierra Leone Liberia, rivers Konkuré, Kolenté, Little Scarcies, Taja, Moa, Mano, Saint Paul, Upper Niger.