Pollimyrus nigripinnis (Boulenger, 1899)
Species overview
Small fish, body moderately short and deep, head slightly shorter than body depth, slightly longer than deep, snout rather truncate, feebly protruding mouth. Mouth slightly subterminal; caudal peduncle short, slender. -Body dark purplish brown, blackish speckled, fins blackish. Size observed: 110 mm SL.
P. nigripinnis(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately short, strongly laterally compressed, moderately deep, body depth 27-35 % SL, greatest depth above origin of anal fin.
-Head length 26-33 % SL; head depth 23-29 % SL, 72-91 % body depth.
-Outline of back straight, upper profile of head convex, underside of head oncave; outline of belly slightly convex, bases of unpaired fins steeply running to caudal peduncle.
-Snout truncate, short, 13-21 % head length, 19-35 % postorbital length, upper jaw on a level with upper edge base of pectoral fin.
-Mouth 16-21 % head length, slightly subterminal, its edge below a line halfway between the nostrils.
-Chin inconspicuous.
-Teeth truncate or feebly notched, 9/10.
-Nostrils separate, circular, posterior nostril below anterior and on a level with centre of eye or slightly below. Axis of nostrils cutting axis of head at an angle of about 40°.
-Eye diameter 17-22 % head length, 28-35 % postorbital length.
-Opercular cleft strongly curved, 27-36 % head length, 26-41 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 20-22 fin-rays, base of D 17-24 % SL, anal fin 26-27 rays, base of A 23-28 % SL, origin of D behind origin of A, end of D more or less opposite end of A; predorsal length 56-66 % SL, preanal length 52-60 % SL.
-Pectoral fin pointed, extending beyond tip of pelvic fin. V is much closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin long, pointed, the scaled lobes obtusely pointed, nearly half as long as membranous portion. 46-53 scales in lateral line; 12 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 15-21 % SL, its depth 4-6 % SL, 19-32 % its length.
-Coloration »Dark purplish brown, speckled with black; fins blackish«. First rays and bases of following rays of unpaired fins quite dark, base of caudal fin too.
Type locality
»Kutu, Lac Léopold II« (2° 44 ‘ S 18° 09 ‘ E) Lac Léopold II recently Lac Mai - Ndombe(?), Democratic Republic of Congo.
Distribution
»Middle Congo basin«.