A critical revision of the churchill snoutfish, genus Petrocephalus Marcusen, 1854 (Actinopterygii: Teleostei: Mormyridae), from southern and eastern Africa, with the recognition of Petrocephalus tanensis, and the description of five new species
Author
Kramer, Bernd
Author
Bills, Roger
Author
Skelton, Paul
Author
Wink, Michael
text
Journal of Natural History
2012
2012-09-30
46
35 - 36
2179
2258
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2012.708452
journal article
10.1080/00222933.2012.708452
1464-5262
4590828
Petrocephalus squalostoma
(
Boulenger, 1915
)
(Online
Figure 12
)
Marcusenius squalostoma
Boulenger, 1915: 162
.
Petrocephalus squalostoma
(
Boulenger, 1915
)
:
Taverne 1972: 162
. Current status: valid as
Petrocephalus squalostoma
(
Boulenger, 1915
)
.
Type specimens.
Syntypes
: (5)
BMNH
1920.5.26.1(2) studied
,
MRAC 14352-54
(3), not studied
.
Type
locality.
Tributary of Lukinda River
, a tributary of
Moero Lake
,
Democratic Republic of Congo
, estimated at 8.51
◦
S, 28.96
◦
E (coordinates cited from Lavoué Forthcoming 2012)
.
Diagnosis.
Number of dorsal fin rays, nD, 18–21; of anal fin rays, nA, 29–31; predorsal length,
PDL
,
0.6671
–0.673
of SL; preanal length,
PAL
,
0.598
–0.603
of SL; body depth,
BD
,
0.329
–0.335
of SL; caudal peduncle depth,
CPD
,
0.346
–0.388
of
CPL
, caudal peduncle length; length of snout to posterior orbital rim of eye, LSo,
0.409
–0.441
of
head length, HL; distance anterior base of pectoral fin to anterior base of pelvic fin,
PPF
,
0.198
–0.208
of SL; length of dorsal fin, LD,
0.160
–0.174
of SL
.
Description.
Body asymmetrically oval shape with long, prominent, arched back and deep body. Head broadly rounded, with very short snout to posterior orbital rim, LSo,
0.409
–0.441
of head length, HL. HL
0.263
–0.280
of SL. Eye diameter, OD,
0.223
–0.257
of HL. Small mouth ventrally located under the eye; head and body dorsolaterally compressed. Dorsal fin set far back, at about two-thirds of standard length from snout, starting above the fourth or fifth ray of the anal fin. Predorsal length,
PDL
,
0.667
–0.673
, preanal length,
PAL
,
0.599
–0.603
. Number of dorsal fin rays, nD 18–21, of anal fin rays, nA 29–31. Anal fin, LA, with
0.241
–0.250
of SL longer than and opposite dorsal fin, with length, LD,
0.160
–0.174
of SL. Forked tail fin with rounded, slightly pointed lobes on slender, subcylindrical caudal peduncle the depth of which,
CPD
, is
0.346
–0.388
its length,
CPL
. Length of pectoral fins, LPF,
0.638
− 0.689
of HL. Length of caudal peduncle,
CPL
,
0.184
–0.192
of SL. Scales extending anteriorly to operculum and pectoral fins. The number of circumpeduncular scales, SPc, 12. Body depth,
BD
,
0.329
–0.335
of standard length. Pectoral to pelvic fin distance,
PPF
,
0.198
–0.208
of SL.
Colour in preservation.
Homogeneously brown.
Ecology.
Unknown.
Remarks.
Values for
PDL
,
PPF
and
BD
that are either highest or in the uppermost range among the present assemblage of
Petrocephalus
species are distinctive of
P. squalostoma
.
Etymology.
Perhaps from Latin
squalidus
, without ornament, and Greek
stoma
, mouth.