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 petersi
sp. nov.
(
Figure 2
, no. 21)
Type specimens.
Holotype
:
SAIAB 060846
(specimen
R1
),
Mozambique
, stream near campsite 1, edge of wet
Zambezi
River
System
,
Zambezi River
.
Paratypes
:
SAIAB 186055
(
10 specimens
)
.
Type
locality.
Mozambique
, stream near campsite 1, edge of wet
Zambezi
River
System
,
Zambezi River
, 18
◦
33
′
54
′′
S, 35
◦
39
′
46
′′
E
.
Diagnosis.
Preanal length,
PAL
, mean 0.616 (range
0.595
–0.637
) of SL; predorsal length,
PDL
, mean 0.642 (range
0.623
–0.658
) of SL; length of snout to centre of eye, LSc, mean 0.364 (range
0.345
–0.383
) of HL, head length; length of snout to posterior orbital rim of eye, LSo, mean 0.462 (range
0.442
–0.479
) of HL, head length; body depth,
BD
, mean 0.299 (range
0.287
–0.323
) of SL; number of scales around caudal peduncle, SPc, median 16 (range 12–16)
.
Description.
Body round-oval shape (
Figure 2
, no. 21). Head broadly rounded with a small ventrally positioned subterminal mouth, situated ventral to the eye; head and body dorsolaterally compressed. Dorsal fin (a) origin situated about two-thirds of standard length from snout, (b) obliquely orientated, anteriorly higher and posteriorly lower, (c) distal margin crescentic with anterior two or three rays longer than posterior rays, and (d) number of rays 18 (
n
= 2), 19 (
n
= 2), 20 (
n
= 7). Anal fin (a) longer than dorsal fin, (b) opposite dorsal fin with slightly more anterior origin, (c) obliquely orientated, anteriorly lower and posteriorly higher, (d) anterior 10 or so rays longer than posterior ones, especially in males where they also appear stronger, (e) margin broadly rounded, (f) rays posterior to first 10 with distal margin straight, (g) number of rays 25 (
n
= 4), 26 (
n
= 7). Forked tail fin with rounded lobes. Scales cycloid with reticulate striae, scales extending anteriorly to operculum and pectoral fins (beyond pelvics). Scales on caudal peduncle circumference, 12 (
n
= 1), 13 (
n
= 1), 14 (
n
= 2), 15 (
n
= 1), 16 (
n
= 6). Caudal peduncle slender, subcylindrical entire length, usually 19.7% (18.5–20.8%) of SL (
Table 1
). Males with kink in anal fin base, which is absent in juveniles and females where the anal fin base is straight.
Colour in preservation.
Light beige.
Ecology.
Only collected at one site near camp 1 where local fisherwomen had poisoned a small stream. One of two mormyrids present there and it accounted for less than 4% of the population. The habitat was a medium-sized stream, sand substrate with lots of leaf litter and marginal grass.
Petrocephalus petersi
sp. nov.
is regarded as rare, and prefers freshwater (
<
1% salinity). Online
Figure 11
.
Distribution.
Presently only known from the
Zambezi
delta region.
Etymology.
The species name
petersi
is given in honour of the German herpetologist Wilhelm C. H. Peters who, until recently, during his
Naturwissenschaftliche Reise nach Mossambique 1842–1848
, had carried out the only major fish survey of the lower
Zambezi region
, and discovered many of the endemics and other more widespread species (
Peters 1868
;
Bills 2000
).
Remarks.
In comparison,
P. petersi
sp. nov.
is characterized by a very long PAL, long PDL, long LSc and LSo, quite high BD, and a usually high SPc.