Mormyrus tapirus Pappenheim, 1905

A large Mormyrus with slender caudal peduncle and an elongated tubular snout, 12 circumpeduncular scales, 83-97 lateral line scales and 62-74 dorsal rays. Body depth is 18.1-20.4% SL. The greatest depth at the anterior end of the dorsal fin. Head is long, 27-30% SL, upper profile of head curved downward, a concave dip anterior to eye. Snout is narrow, elongate and tubular, 47-55% HL. Mouth terminal with thick lips and fleshy somewhat bulbous chin. Teeth small and notched, five in upper jaw, six in lower, clustered near the front of the jaw. Dorsal fin origin in advance of pelvics. Eye large, about 22-29% of the length of the snout, about 11% HL; 60-70% of interorbital width. The pectoral fin is long and rounded. The caudal peduncle is long, 20.6-21% SL, 4.3-6.3 times as long as deep with 12 circumpeduncular scales. Lateral line with 83-97 scales. The nostrils are close to each other and about 1.2 eye diameter from the eye. Maximum size: 430 mm SL.

Coloration: mostly uniform brown above, silvery yellow to white below.