Petrocephalus schoutedeni Poll, 1954
Species overview
Very small fish, body short and quite deep, head much shorter than body depth, slightly shorter than deep or as long as deep, snout rather pointed, mouth inferior. Aggregations of cutaneous sensory organs on the head not clearly visible. Caudal peduncle slender.
Size observed: 70 mm SL.
P. schoutedeni(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body short, quite deep, strongly laterally compressed, body depth 35-38 % SL, greatest depth above base of pelvic fin or closer to origin of anal.
-Head length 24-29 % SL; head depth 25-31 % SL, 67-82 % body depth.
-Outline of body from origin of dorsal over tip of snout to origin of anal fin rather ovoid; bases of unpaired fins running steeply to caudal peduncle.
-Snout short, 14-20 % head length, 23-40 % postorbital length.
-Mouth width 18-24 % head length, inferior, its edge below posterior rim of eye, upper jaw on a level with lower edge base of pectoral fin.
-Chin inconspicuous. Number of teeth not indicated.
-Nostrils closely together, oval, on a level with lower margin of the lens but posterior nostril slightly above the anterior , axis more or less parallel to axis of head.
-Eye diameter 18-27 % head length, 30-53 % postorbital length. Particular aggregations of electrorecpetors on the head not clearly visible, but probably present.
-Opercular cleft strongly curved, 29-46 % head length, 29-44 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 19-22 fin-rays, base of D 17-22 % SL, anal fin 27-30 rays, base of A 27-30 % SL, origin of D well behind origin of A, end of D well before end of A; predorsal length 58-65 % SL, preanal length 50-59 % SL.
-Pectoral fin pointed, extending over 2/3 the length of pelvic fin. V is closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin pointed, scaled part short. 34-36 scales in lateral line; 8 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 22-26% SL, its depth 5-6 % SL, 21-29 % its length.
-Coloration Silvery, darker on back, countershaded, a dark dot a dark spot on dorsal fin, caudal fin with dark spots on base, brighter margins and darker rays.
Type locality
»Yangambi« (0° 47 ‘ N 24° 28 ‘ E), Province Équateur, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Distribution
Middle Congo basin.