Paramormyrops gabonensis Taverne, Thys van den Audenaerde and Heymer, 1977
Species overview
Medium-sized fish, body moderately elongate, outlines of back and belly rather parallel to each other, unpaired fins short, dorsal fin originating posterior to anal fin, snout truncate, mouth slightly subterminal, caudal peduncle slender; uniform dark brown. Size observed: 192 mm SL, 218 mm TL.
P. gabonensis(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately elongate, laterally compressed, cross section almost rectangular, body depth 16-20 % SL, greatest depth between pectoral and pelvic fin.
-Head length 25-27 % SL; head depth 16-18 % SL, 86-102 % body depth.
-Outline of back rather straight, outline of belly slightly convex, upper profile of head concave, strongly curved above nostrils, end of snout therefor more or less truncate; underside of head slightly concave.
-Snout truncate, rather deep, slightly protruding mouth, 21-24 % head length, 31-43 % postorbital length, Mouth 15-19 % head length, slightly subterminal, its edge reaching to a line below posterior nostril, edge of upper jaw on a level with lower edge of opercular cleft.
-Chin without appendage, inconspicuous.
-Teeth notched, 5/6.
-Nostrils separate, circular, posterior halfway between eye and end of snout, on a level with lower margin of eye, their axis cutting axis of head at an angle of about 30°.
-Eye diameter 8-11 % head length, 13-18 % postorbital length.
-Opercular cleft slightly curved, 29-38 % head length, 42-61 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 19-21 fin-rays, base of D 19-22 % SL, anal fin 25-27 rays, base of A 24-28 % SL, origin of D behind origin of A, end of D before end of A; predorsal length 62-65 % SL, preanal length 58-61 % SL.
-Pectoral fin obtusely pointed, extending nearly to middle of pelvic fin. V is distinctly closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin obtusely pointed, the scaled lobes extending to half the length of the membranous part. 63-66 scales in lateral line; 12 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle slender, 13-15 % SL, its depth 3-5 % SL, 22-32 % its length.
-Coloration -Body dark brown, even darker on the back, slightly countershaded, scales along lateral line darker; head dark to very dark brown; fin-rays blackish, fin membranes transparent,
Type locality
»Rivière Ivindo, près de M’ Passa, Makokou, Gabon«.
Distribution
Gabon, type locality.
Electric organ discharges
P. gabonensis(elec. organ)
P. gabonensis(EOD)