Morphology Data of Enteromius seymouri
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Tweddle, D. and P.H. Skelton, 2008
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral fusiform / normal
Cross section
Dorsal head profile more or less straight
Type of eyes more or less normal
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth sub-terminal/inferior
Type of scales
Diagnosis

Diagnosis: moderate-sized, robust-bodied species; last dorsal simple ray ossified and serrated; 26-29 lateral line scales; no prominent sheath of enlarged scales at the base of the dorsal fin; fins tinted pinkish-orange; midlateral black stripe extends through the caudal fin to the fork, but does not extend onto the snout (Ref. 75045).

Description: body slightly compressed, maximum depth approximately equal to head length, located before dorsal fin; nape rises in hump behind head, particularly in larger specimens; head moderately deep, four times in standard length; eyes lateral in position, visible from above and below; orbit becoming proportionately smaller in large specimens; snout rounded and short, equal to or slightly shorter than orbit diameter; no tubercles on the head; nostrils small; short tubular anterior naris adjacent to open posterior naris; nostrils level with dorsal margin of eye and separated from orbit by less than one orbit radius; mouth subterminal, crescentshaped and reaching to below anterior border of orbit; lips moderately well-developed; 2 pairs of simple barbels, anterior slightly shorter than posterior, which is approximately equal to orbit diameter; gill cover opening from level with dorsal margin of orbit, attached ventrally close to isthmus; gill rakers short, stub-like and widely-spaced; pharyngeal bones typical of small African Barbus species with 3 rows of peg-like pharyngeal teeth with pointed cusps (formula 5,3,2 2,3,5); 17-19 abdominal vertebrae; 15-17 caudal vertebrae; 9-10 predorsal vertebrae; 12-13 rib pairs; origin of dorsal fin equidistant between tip of snout and base of caudal fin, above or just behind origin of pelvic fins; dorsal fin becomes relatively shorter with increasing size of specimen, from approximately 30% of standard length in smallest specimens to 20% in largest individuals; anteriormost branched ray of dorsal fin longest; distal margin of dorsal fin concave; last unbranched dorsal ray ossified and finely serrated (approximately 30 prominent serrations and up to 40 in total) on its posterior side; pectoral fins reach 2/3 of distance to base of pelvics, with tips rounded and distal margin straight; pelvic fins reach 2/3 of distance to base of anal fin; pelvic fins relatively small and rounded; anal fin short, extending 1/3 length of caudal peduncle; last unbranched ray of anal fin longest, with distal margin straight; outer rays of caudal fin twice length of median rays; caudal fin lobes rounded; caudal peduncle long, length twice depth; anus and genital opening immediately anterior of base of anal fin; gut short, about equal to standard length, in a single simple S-flexure; scales moderately large, cycloid and rounded, well developed in regular rows; scales radially striate with about 10 radii in total; lateral line complete, anteriorly dipping one scale row below the horizontal myoseptum, joining and extending straight along the midline at the anterior end of the caudal peduncle; no sheath of enlarged, elongate scales along base of dorsal fin; short pelvic axil scale present; breast scales well developed; 9-12 predorsal scale rows (Ref. 75045). Coloration: alive: body and head olive dorsally and sides silvery with whitish-gold sheen ventrally; black midlateral stripe bordered with golden yellow; black post-opercular vertical bar present; dorsal fin with dark olive rays and clear membranes; caudal fin colouration similar but with pinkish-orange tinge, particularly on lower half; pectoral, pelvic and anal fins pale brownish-orange tinted distinctly pinkish-orange; iris dark anteriorly and posteriorly, pale yellow ventrally with orange highlight dorsally; specimens from turbid water uniformly pale with faint dark midlateral stripe (Ref. 75045). Preserved specimens: dorsal surface scales densely pigmented with fine melanophores, with a crescent of closely spaced larger melanophores at both anterior and posterior borders of exposed part of scale; pigmentation less intense in centres of lateral line scales and in the row below the lateral line only a few scattered melanophores present on each scale, although anterior crescent is still fairly prominent; in next row below, only a few scattered melanophores present anteriorly and dorsally on each scale; below this, all scales pigment-free except for a few melanophores along the ventral scale row between anal and caudal fins; crescent of dark pigment present behind operculum from lateral line to pectoral fin base; horizontal myoseptum darkly pigmented beneath the scales, forming a fine but fairly intense mid-lateralstripe, most prominent on the caudal peduncle; in many specimens, underlying pigmentation emphasised by additional melanophores along the line on the scales themselves; at base of caudal fin, lateral stripe broadens slightly as a result of heavier scale pigmentation; stripe continues through to posterior margin of caudal fin; mid-dorsal stripe present for full length of body; rays of the dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins lightly pigmented with fine melanophores; pelvics and anal almost pigment free; operculum and snout covered in melanophores, which are more abundant but finer on the snout; both pairs of barbels lightly pigmented (Ref. 75045).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Enteromius seymouri

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line 26 - 29
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line 4
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle 12
Barbels 4
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb 4
on upper limb 2
total
Vertebrae
preanal 18 - 20
total 34 - 35

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes no striking attributes
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   0
Ventral  0
Spines total 0
Soft-rays total 10 - 11
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes forked; more or less normal

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 0
Soft-rays total 8 - 9

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   12 - 15
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    abdominal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   8 - 9
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
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