Marcusenius kainjii Lewis, 1974
Species overview
Medium-sized fish, body deep, strongly compressed, snout short trunk-like bent down with big globular swelling. Yellow-brown. Size observed: 249 mm SL, 287 mm TL, 190 g.
M. kainjii(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately elongate, strongly compressed, deep, body depth 29 % SL, greatest depth between pelvic and anal fin.
-Head slightly longer than deep, head length 24 % SL, head depth 21 % SL, 73 % body depth.
-Outline of body more or less oval (back and belly slightly convex), except for the snout region; upper profile of head convex, underside of head strongly concave.
-Snout clearly bent down, »a rudimentary down curved trunk«, 29 % head length, 54 % postorbital length.
-Mouth small, terminal, the edge quite before nostrils, upper jaw on a level with lower edge base of pectoral fin.
-Chin with short, thick, downward directed globular swelling. Shape and numbers of teeth not indicated.
-Nostrils separate, circular, anterior nostril on a level with lower rim of lens, posterior on a level with lower rim of eye; distance between nostrils two times their distance from eye, their axis cuts axis of head at an angle of about 40°.
-Eye diameter 17 % head length, 32 % postorbital length.
-Opercular cleft slightly curved, 27 % head length, 31 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 28 fin-rays, base of D 24 % SL, anal fin 30 rays, base of A 25 % SL, origin of D opposite origin of A, end of D before end of A; predorsal length 59 % SL, preanal length 56 % SL.
-Pectoral fin pointed, extending beyond middle of pelvic fin. V is closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin pointed, scaled lobes obtusely pointed, narrow, longer than 1/2 of entire fin. 79 scales in lateral line; 12 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 18 % SL, its depth 5 % SL, 30 % its length.
-Coloration »?yellow-brown?«.
Type locality
»Lake Kainji, Nigeria«.
Distribution
Lake Kainji, an artificial lake in Lower Niger river, Nigeria, type locality, (10° 30 ‘ N 04° 35 ‘ E).