Mormyrops (Mormyrops) microstoma Boulenger, 1898
Species overview
Medium-sized fish, body elongate, moderately compressed, low, snout short, truncate, protruding mouth; unpaired fins rather long; caudal peduncle short, deep, caudal fin small.
Size observed: 159 mm SL, 168 mm TL.
M. microstoma(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body elongate, moderately laterally compressed, cross section oblong-oval, body depth 16 % SL, greatest depth at about middle of trunk.
-Head length 23 % SL, head depth 11 % SL, 72 % body depth.
-Outline of back straight, parallel to outline of belly, upper profile of head straight, underside of head concave.
-Snout short, truncate, 15 % head length, 20 % postorbital length.
-Mouth subterminal, 14 % head length, its edge extending nearly to posterior nostril, edge of upper jaw on a level with upper edge base of pectoral fin.
-Chin with moderate submental swelling, lower jaw less deep than upper part of snout.
-Teeth truncate, 14/14, in closed lines.
-Nostrils separate, circular, both on a level with centre of eye, anterior nostril close to end of snout, distance between nostrils 1/3 their distance from eye, their axis running parallel to axis of snout.
-Eye, its diameter 8 % head length, 11 % postorbital length.
-Opercular cleft curved, 27 % head length, 56 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 45 fin-rays, base of D 31 % SL, anal fin 70 rays, base of A 41 % SL, origin of D well behind A, end of D before end A; predorsal length 65 % SL, preanal length 57 % SL.
-Pectoral fin rounded, extending to half its distance from pelvic fin. V is slightly closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin rather small, rounded, the scaled lobes covering 2/3 of the entire fin. 102 scales in lateral line; 14 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle short, 5 % SL, its depth 3 % SL, 60 % its length.
-Coloration »Blackish brown«.
Type locality
»Nouvelle Anwers, Haut Congo« (to day Makanza) Democratic Republic of Congo (01° 36 ‘ N 19° 07 ‘ E)
Distribution
Middle Congo basin.