Brienomyrus (Brienomyrus) sphecodes (Sauvage, 1879)
Species overview
Medium sized fish, body quite elongate, head longer than deep, round-snouted, not quite as deep as body, snout slightly tapering, mouth subterminal. Brown, countershaded.
Size observed: 210 TL.
B. sphecodes(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body quite elongate, body depth 17-24 % SL, greatest body depth close to anal fin, head length 19-25 % SL, head depth 13-18 % SL.
-Outline of back more or less straight, upper profile of head strongly convex, underside of head concave.
-Snout 14-20 % head length, 21-32 % postorbital length, rounded and slightly tapering.
-Mouth subterminal, 9-20 % head length, its edge below posterior nostril, upper jaw on a level with lower edge of opercular cleft.
-Chin moderate with submental swelling.
-Teeth notched, 5/6. Anterior nostrils circular, posterior oval; posterior on a level with lower rim of eye, anterior somewhat above it, close to front profile; axis of nostrils cutting axis of head at an angle of about 30°.
-Eye diameter 11-15 % head length, 16-23 % postorbital length.
-Opercular cleft rounded, 25-36 % head length, 37-57 % head depth.
-Dorsal 17-21 fin-rays, base of D 14-19 % SL, anal fin 24- 26 rays, base of A 14-23 % SL. D originating behind origin of A, ending more or less opposite end of A. Predorsal length 60-66 % SL, preanal length 57-63 % SL.
-Pectoral pointed, 13-17 % SL, extending to base of pelvic. V is closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin obtusely pointed with short, rounded scaled lobes. 67-90 scales in lateral line, 12 scales around caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 17-20 % SL, its depth 5-7 % SL, 22-27 % its length.
-Coloration »Brown, countershaded.
Type locality
»Riv. Ogôoué, á Doumé (Congo français)« to day Gabon, (Mouth of Ogowe: 00° 49 ‘ N 09° 00 ‘ E).
Distribution
Zaïre basin (Zaïre and Cameroon), Ogowe and tributaries (Gabon).
Electric organ discharges
Biphasic, head negative: -/+.
B. sphecodes(EOD)