OCR Text |
Show 112 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON THE AFRICAN AND [Feb. 7, III (rarely IV) 9-10; third spine a little shorter but stronger than last dorsal spine. Caudal rounded. Caudal peduncle as long as deep. Scales cycloid, 30-33 |=j; lat. 1. gjjg. Brownish or olive, vertical fins and ventrals darker. Total length 270 millim. East Africa, from the Coast of Zanzibar to the Zambesi. 5. TILAPIA NILOTICA. Labrus niloticus, Linn, in Hasselq. Iter Palsest. p. 346 (1757), and S. N. i. p. 477 (1766) ; Sonnini, Voy. Egypte, ii. p. 395, pi. xxvii. fig. 1 (1799). Chromis nilotica, Cuv., Guerin, Icon. B. An. i. Poiss. pi. xliv. fig. 1 (1844); Sauv. Bull. Soc. Philom. (7) iv. 1880, p. 211; Lortet, Ann. Mus. Lyon, iii. 1883, p. 137, pi. vii.; Mitchell, Rep. Fish. L. Menzaleh, p. 12, pi. ii. (1895) ; Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1896, p. 218. Chromis niloticus, part., Giinth. Cat. iv. p. 267 (1862), and Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 490; Steind. Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xiv. 1864, p. 226; Peters, Reise Mossamb. iv. p. 23 (1868); Giinth. in Petherick, Trav. C. Afr. ii. p. 216 (1869) ; Steind. Sitzb. Ak. Wien, lx. 1870, p. 96 ; Pfeffer, Jahrb. BZamb. AAdss. Anst. x. 1893, p. 149 ; Vinciguerra, Ann. Mus. Genova, (2) xv. 1895, p. 28 ; Pfeffer, Thierw. O.-Afr., Fische, p. 10 (1896). Chromis guentheri, Steind. Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xiv. 1864, p. 228, pi. viii. figs. 3 & 4. Chromis spilurus, Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1894, p. 89, pi. x. fig. A, and 1896, p. 219. Tilapia nilotica, Bouleng. Tr. Zool. Soc. xv. 1898, p. 6. Teeth very small, in 4 to 6 series in both jaAvs. Depth of body 2\ to 2\ times in total length, length of head 2 | to 3| times. Snout Avith nearly straight upper profile, \\ to \\ diameter of eye (shorter in the young), which is 4| to 6 times in length of head (3g to 3| in the young), and lg to 2\ times in interorbital width ; mouth moderate, \ to § width of head, extending to below anterior border of eye or betAveen the nostril and the eye ; 2 or 3 series of scales on the cheek, forming, under the eye, a nearly straight horizontal band AA7hich equals or exceeds the width of the naked prseopercle; large scales on the opercle. Gill-rakers short, 17 to 23 on lower part of anterior arch. Dorsal XV-XVIII 11-13; last spine longest, f to \ length of head, # to § length of longest soft rays. Pectoral falciform, 1 to 1] iength of head, extending as far as origin of anal or a little beyond. Ventral reaching vent or anal. Anal III 9-11; third spine as long as or a little shorter than longest dorsal spine. Caudal rounded. Caudal peduncle slightly deeper than long. Scales cycloid, 31-35 -t^ ; lat. 1. Ji^. Olive, some or most of the scales darker at the 14-15 ' lo-lo base, or lighter and golden in the centre ; vertical fins with blackish and whitish spots forming transverse or oblique streaks; a blackish opercular spot; young Avith 8 or 9 more or less distinct dark bars |