Mormyrops (Mormyrops) engystoma Boulenger, 1898
Species overview
Smaller fish, body elongate, moderately compressed, low, head moderately tapering, slightly bent down, snout rounded, slightly protruding mouth, eyes small, laterally located, caudal peduncle rather long and deep; uniform brown. Size observed: 143 mm SL.
M. engystoma(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body elongate, moderately laterally compressed, cross section oblong-oval, body depth 14-16 % SL, greatest depth in posterior to half of trunk.
-Head length 22-25 % SL, head depth 11-13 % SL, 72-85 % body depth.
-Outlines of back and belly more or less straight, outline of belly feebly convex; upper profile of head straight, underside of head concave.
-Snout rounded, slightly protruding mouth, 18-23 % head length, 26-31 % postorbital length.
-Mouth small, 9-12 % head length, slightly subterminal, its edge below posterior nostril, edge of upper jaw on a level between pectoral fin and underside of head.
-Chin with moderate submental swelling, lower jaw much lower than upper part of snout.
-Teeth notched, in closed lines, 11-12/10-13.
-Nostrils separate, circular, both on a level with lower rim of eye, their axis running parallel to axis of snout.
-Eye small, its diameter 4-7 % head length, 5-10 % postorbital length.
-Opercular cleft curved, 20-26 % head length, 39-55 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 21-23 fin-rays, base of D 14-20 % SL, anal fin 32-38 rays, base of A 28-32 % SL, origin of D well behind end of A, end of D well before end of A; predorsal length 65-67 % SL, preanal length 57-60 % SL.
-Pectoral fin rounded, extending over 2/3 its distance from pelvic fin. V is usually closer to P than to A, but may be equally distant from it.
-Caudal fin rounded, scaled lobes extending over half of the entire fin. 73-97 scales in lateral line; 16 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 9-14 % SL, its depth 4-5 % SL, 42-58 % its length.
-Coloration »Pale brown, dotted with blackish«.
Type locality
»Matadi, Bas Congo«. (5° 49 ‘ S 13° 27 ‘ E) Democratic Republic of Congo.
Distribution
Lower Congo basin, occurrence in Tchad basin dubious.