Pollimyrus maculipinnis (Nichols and LaMonte)
Species overview
Very small fish, body moderately short, deep, head slightly shorter than body depth, slightly longer than deep, snout bluntly rounded, feebly protruding mouth which is slightly subterminal. Dusky purplish darker spots on lower side of head and belly, unpaired fins with darker markings. Size observed: 57 mm SL.
P. maculipinnis(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately short, strongly laterally compressed, body depth 30-33 % SL, greatest depth between pelvic and anal fin.
-Head length 28 % SL; head depth 25 % SL, 79 % body depth.
-Outline of back slightly convex, outline of belly slightly convex, upper profile of head strongly convex, underside of head concave. Base of dorsal and anal fin steeply running to caudal peduncle.
-Snout short, blunt, rounded, 13 % head length, 21 % postorbital length.
-Mouth 23 % head length, slightly subterminal, its edge below anterior rim of lens , upper jaw on a level between base of pectoral fin and underside of head.
-Chin inconspicuous.
-Teeth notched, 7/7.
-Nostrils separate, posterior nostril oval, anterior nostril on a level with lower rim of lens, posterior nostril slightly above lower rim of eye, close to its anterior rim. Axis of nostrils cutting axis of head at an angle of about 30°.
-Eye diameter 26 % head length, 42 % postorbital length.
-Opercular cleft curved, 26 % head length, 30 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 17-18 fin-rays, base of D 18 % SL, anal fin 24-25 rays, base of A 27 % SL, origin of Dwell behind origin of A, end of D well before end of A; predorsal length 60 % SL, preanal length 55 % SL Pectoral fin pointed, extending to nearly to tip of pelvic fin. V is closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin pointed, the scaled lobes short. 55-66 scales in lateral line; 12-14 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 22 % SL, its depth 6 % SL, 25-30 % its length.
(Only measurements of the holotype available, original description refers to two more specimens, data included.)
-Coloration »Colour dusky purplish, broken into small dark spots on the lower surface of head and belly, not appreciably paler below than above. Ill-defined dark blotches on the bases of dorsal and anal fin in front and across the base of the caudal«.
Type locality
»Luluabourg, Kasaï District, Belgian Congo«. Democratic Republic of Congo (Luluabourg = Kananga 5° 54 ‘ S 22° 25 ‘ E)
Distribution
»Congo basin, Kasaï (type locality)«. Democratic Republic of Congo.