| Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes) |
| 21.5 cm SL (male/unsexed); 20 cm SL (female) |
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benthopelagic; freshwater, |
| Africa: Ogôoué basin, Nyanga River and Kouilou-Niari system (Cameroon to Republic of Congo) (Ref. 44050, 81645). |
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Dorsal spines (total): -0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 8-10; Vertebrae: 38-40. Diagnosis: tooth patches narrow; vertically based pectoral fin positioned near body mid-depth; 6-7 branched caudal-fin rays; 8 (rarely 7 or 9) pectoral-fin rays; 3 ventral unbranched caudal-fin rays (Ref. 44050). Dorsum, flank and head unspotted; caudal saddle and bar pattern intensely expressed with wide, dark and well defined saddle that extends onto the anal fin, with no interruption between saddle and anal-fin pigment fields (Ref. 44050, 81645)(in all other species with a caudal saddle there is a clear break in pigment between the saddle and the anal fin pigmentation)(Ref. 44050). Venter unpigmented; 38-40 vertebrae (Ref. 44050, 81645). 4-14 gill-rakers (Ref. 44050).
Description: head deep and cylindrical; jaws even or lower jaw only slightly prominent; 16-18 abdominal vertebrae; 21-23 caudal vertebrae; 19 caudal-fin rays (arrangement: iii-6-7-iii) (Ref. 44050, 81645).
Coloration: head and body bicolored; dorsum soft and even grey, venter tan or pinkish (Ref. 44050). Spots or blotches completely absent (Ref. 44050), or small if present (Ref. 34006). Caudal saddle and bar dark; pale interspace and pale crescent at caudal fin base are bright (Ref. 44050). Caudal bar spans both caudal fin base and the terminus of the caudal peduncle (Ref. 34006, 44050). Caudal saddle has an indistinct anterior margin with a sharply defined posterior margin (Ref. 44050). It extends completely around the body and onto the anal fin (Ref. 34006, 44050). Pectoral fin clear; pelvic fin opaque or whitish; anal fin darkly pigmented throughout, except for a pale distal border (Ref. 44050). Saddle and pale interspace carried onto the adipose fin (Ref. 34006, 44050). Caudal fin darkly pigmented, except for a pale basal crescent and a clear distal margin; caudal saddle and bar pattern decreases in definition with body size and these markings are not as distinct nor as dark in the specimens of this species verified from beyond the Ogowe basin (Ref. 44050). Broad interspaces between black marks are pale in preserved specimens and white, yellow or even orange in live specimens; coloration is most marked in juveniles but also present in adults (Ref. 34006). |
| An upland species, generally not found in lowland habitats, where it appears to be replaced by M. beninensis (Ref. 81645). |
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Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
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| harmless |
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