Marcusenius meronai Bigorne and Paugy, 1990
Species overview
Medium-sized fish, body moderately elongate and deep, head uneven blunt-snouted, upper profile convex, snout contour with a break, lower jaw quite thick, caudal peduncle deep.
Size observed: 187 mm SL, 224 mm TL.
M. meronai(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately elongate laterally compressed, body depth 26-28 % SL, greatest depth near anal fin.
-Head length 23-24 % SL. % SL.
-Outline of back slightly convex, upper profile of head convex with a break above nostrils which makes the snout look pointed; underside of head concave under a stout lower jaw, outline of belly more or less straight.
-Snout obtusely pointed, 29-37 % head length.
-Mouth size terminal, its edge before anterior nostril., upper jaw on a level with upper edge base of pectoral fin.
-Chin stout with strong globular swelling.
-Teeth notched, 5/5-6.
-Nostrils separate, anterior nostril circular, posterior nostril elongate-oval on a level below lower rim of eye; axis of nostrils cutting axis of head at an angle of about 45°.
-Eye moderate, its diameter 15-17 % head length, 44-52 % length of snout.
-Opercular cleft S shaped, about half as long as head depth.
-Dorsal fin 21-23 fin-rays, base of D 17-21 % SL, anal fin 25-29 rays, base of A 20-24 % SL, origin of D behind or opposite origin of A, end of D before end of A; predorsal length 64-67 % SL, preanal length 59-65 % SL.
-Pectoral fin pointed, length, extending beyond base of pelvic fin. V is closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin pointed, scaled lobes obtusely pointed, half as long as entire fin. 50-54 scales in lateral line; 12 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 17-18 % SL, its depth 7-8 % SL, 37-49 % its length. (Proportions after original description).
-Coloration Generally dark, head and back black, flanks and belly slightly lighter; the fins are dark, the first rays of D black at the base. Only in preserved specimens a slightly darker band may be seen between origins of D and A.
Type locality
»Rokel à Kondembaya, Bagbé à Yifin, Sierra Leone«.
Distribution
»?rivières Bagbé et Rokel (Sierra Leone)«. (Kondembaya 09° 21 ‘ N 11° 33 ‘ W; Yifin 09° 07 ‘ N 11° 16 ‘ W)