Pollimyrus stappersii stappersii (Boulenger, 1915)
Species overview
Very small fish, body moderately elongate and deep, head about as long as body depth, snout rounded, short, feebly protruding mouth; caudal peduncle moderately deep. Brown, darker on the back, marbled and dotted darker. Size observed: 64 mm SL.
P. st. stappersii(measurements)
Taxonomic description
-Body moderately elongate, laterally compressed, cross section oblong-oval, body depth 23-31 % SL, greatest depth near middle of body.
-Head length 24-27 % SL; head depth 19-24 % SL, 73-82 % body depth.
-Outline of back straight, upper profile of head strongly convex, underside of head convex, outline of belly slightly convex. Bases of unpaired fins moderately steep running to caudal peduncle.
-Snout rounded, 14-21 % head length, 21-32 % postorbital length, its tip on a level with centre or upper margin of the eye.
-Mouth 18-21 % head length, slightly subterminal, its edge extending to a line halfway between the nostrils, upper jaw on a level with upper edge base of pectoral fin.
-Chin inconspicuous.
-Teeth not indicated in original description.
-Nostrils separate, circular, anterior nostril on a level with lower rim of eye, posterior nostril slightly below anterior, very close to rim of eye. Axis of nostrils running more or less parallel to axis of head.
-Eye diameter 11-18 % head length, 16-27 % postorbital length. Opercular cleft curved, 29-44 % head length, 39-52 % head depth.
-Dorsal fin 17-19 fin-rays, base of D 16-22 % SL, anal fin 21-24 rays, base of A 20-25 % SL, origin of D behind origin of A, end of D more or less opposite end of A; predorsal length 57-65 % SL, preanal length 53-60 % SL.
-Pectoral fin pointed, extending to middle of pelvic fin. V is closer to P than to A.
-Caudal fin obtusely pointed, the scaled lobes rounded, extending over 1/4 the length of the membranous part. 50-52 scales in lateral line; 12 round caudal peduncle.
-Caudal peduncle 19-23 % SL, its depth 6-7 % SL, 29-38 % its length.
-Coloration »Brown, darker above, dotted black all over«. Marbled, slightly countershaded.
Type locality
»Ruisseau affluent de la Lukinda, (Katanga)«. Shaba (8° 30 ‘ S °25 00 ‘ E), Democratic Republic of Congo.
Distribution
»Upper Congo basin, (Katanga) Bangweulu system«. (Bangweulu swamps: 11° 30 ‘ S 30° 15 ‘ E).