Marcusenius kutuensis (Boulenger 1899)

From Boden et al. (1997)

Diagnosis. Dorsal-fin origin situated slightly in advance of anal-fin origin. Both fin bases terminate at the same level. The ratio dorsal-fin length/anal-fin length is < 1·25. Dorsal-fin margin pointed and deeply concave (falciform). Anal fin slightly concave. Lateral-line scales 36-42, generally two scales on dark coloured transversal band. Dorsal fin long, with 27-31 rays, and 27-30 anal-fin rays.

Description. Mouth terminal. Teeth bicuspid, 5 in upper jaw, 6 in lower jaw. Submental swelling rounded and very small, its posterior end not reaching the anterior margin of the eye. Snout rounded. Anterior nostril in the middle between anterior tip of snout and eye, or at 0·33 distance from the eye. Posterior nostril at 1/5 to 1/6 distance from the eye. Eye-diameter 44-82% of snout length. Preanal distance longer than predorsal distance. Anal fin always shorter than dorsal fin. Their heights never reaching the length of their bases. Pectoral fin twice as long as pelvic fin and its posterior end close to posterior end of pelvic fin. Distance between pectoral and pelvic fins about 0·66 of pectoral-fin length. Base of pelvic fin 0·33 closer to pectoral fin than to anal-fin origin. Pelvic-fin length half the distance from pelvic-fin base to anal-fin origin. High number of dorsal- (27-31) and anal- (27-30) fin rays. Low number of scales on the lateral line (36-42). Scales between dorsal- and anal-fin origins are 17-23. Two scales, sometimes three, on the lateral line cover the dark coloured transverse band between dorsal- and anal-fin origins. Head and transversal band somewhat darker than rest of the body. Body not elongated, but with a high back. The electrocytes have penetrating stalks innervated on the anterior side (Pa).