Petrocephalus bane bane (Lacepède, 1803)
Species overview
Smaller fish, body rather deep, head long, slightly longer than deep, snout shorter than diameter of the rather big eye. Mouth inferior, wide, with numerous teeth. Head with three aggregations, »rosettes«, of cutaneous sensory organs. Dorsal fin originating well posterior to anal fin. Uniform in coloration, no markings on fin-rays or below dorsal fin; countershaded. Size observed: 183 mm SL.
P. bane bane(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body strongly laterally compressed, depth of body 31-35 % SL, greatest depth at origin of anal fin. Length of head 25-30 % SL; depth of head 22-29 % SL, 71-81 % depth of body.
-Outline of back curved, profile of head, upper and underside, parabolic, outline of belly stronger curved than back, bases unpaired fins steeply running towards caudal peduncle. (In males anal with a distinct concavity.)
-Snout short, strongly rounded, 14-19 % length of head, 24-40 % postorbital length, upper jaw on a level with base of pectoral fin.
-Mouth wide, 16-25 % length of head, inferior, its edge below centre of eye, lips thick.
-Chin without appendage.
-Teeth notched, 11-19/19-29.
-Nostrils closely together, upright-oval, above level of lower margin of eye.
-Eye large, diameter 18-22 % length of head, 109-160 % snout length, .28-57 postorbital length. Opercular cleft curved, 28-45 % length of head, 37-45 % depth of head. Three rosettes, aggregations of electrorecpetors, on the head.
-Dorsal fin 29-34 fin-rays, base of D 22-25 % SL, anal fin 32-38 rays, base of A 25-29 % SL, origin of D well posterior to origin of A, end of D anterior to end of A; predorsal length 57-61 % SL, preanal length 51-59 % SL.
-Pectoral fin pointed, length, extending almost up to end of pelvic fin. V is closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin pointed, the scaled part pointed and short. 39-50 scales in lateral line; (10)-12 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 16-21 % SL, its depth 6-8 % SL, 29-41 % its length.
-Coloration »Uniform silvery, greyish or brownish«, countershaded with darker back.
Type locality
M. bane, M. dequesne: »Nil«, M. joannisii and M. ehrenbergii: »Egypte«, P. tchadensis: »Logone moyen à Gamsaye«.(Région Logone occidental: 8° 40’ N 16° 30’ E)
Distribution
Nile basin, Central Niger, Volta, Benue and basins, Tchad basin: Logone rivers.