OCR Text |
Show 1901.] FISHES OF THE NIGER DELTA. 9 head 24 or 3 times. Snout broad, rounded, with straight or slightly convex upper profile, as long as the diameter of the eye, which is contained 34 to 3| times in length of head and 1-j times in interorbital width ; maxillary extending to below anterior border of eye; 3 or 4 series of scales on the cheek ; large scales on the opercle. Gill-rakers short, 10 or 11 on lower part of anterior arch. Dorsal X V - X V I 10-11; spines subequal, not quite h length of head ; middle soft rays somewhat produced, f or i length of head. Pectoral | or :{ length of head. A'entral produced into a filament, reaching origin of anal or a little beyond. Anal III 8 ; third spine as long as dorsals. Caudal rounded. Caudal peduucle much deeper than long. Scales smooth, with very distinct concentric striation, 28-29 ~'> tat- h ^nr-- Dark olive-brown above,yellowish beneath; a blackish opercular spot; three or four vertically elongate large dark spots on each side of the body, below the upper lateral line ; fins greyish, soft dorsal, anal, and caudal chequered with small darker and lighter spots. Total length 90 millim. Four specimens. Allied to the preceding, from which it differs chiefly in the shorter snout, the smaller mouth, and the more rounded caudal. 2<t. PELMATOCHROMIS PULCHER, sp. n. (Plate IV. fig. 2.) Teeth in 4 or 5 series in each jaw, outer largest. Depth of body 2 | to 3 times in total length, length of head 3 to 3| times. Snout broad, rounded, with convex upper profile, as long as the eye, which is contained 3j times in length of head and does not quite equal interorbital width ; maxillary extending to between nostril aud eye ; 2 or 3 series of scales on the cheek ; large scales on the opercle. Gill-rakers short, 10 to 12 on lower part of anterior arch. Dorsal X V I 9-10 ; spines gradually increasing in length to the last, which measures half length of head; some of the soft rays more or less produced, often longer than the head. Pectoral g or | length of head. Ventral more or less produced into a filament, reaching origin of anal, or beyond. Anal III 7-8 ; third spine as long as longest dorsal. Caudal rounded or subacuminate. Caudal peduncle as long as deep. Scales smooth, 27-29 -^'; lat. 1. -~. Olive, with two darker or blackish longitudinal bands on each side, the upper from the occiput to the base of the soft dorsal, the lower from the eye, over the opercle, to the extremity of the caudal fin; sides of body below lower lateral band and between pectorals and ventrals of a beautiful rose-colour; spinous dorsal grey, black at the base, the black area gradually rising to cover nearly the whole of the soft dorsal ; pectoral, outer side of ventral, and extremity of anal blackish ; caudal grey, with an oblique white streak above in the males. Total length 95 millim. Several specimens. Most nearly related to P. subocellatus Gthr., from the Gaboon, but easily distinguished by the proportions of the dorsal spines. |