Morphology Data of Malapterurus microstoma
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Norris, S.M., 2002
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 circular
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

Diagnosis: tooth patches narrow; horizontally based pectoral fins, placed low on the body; snout sharply narrowed rostrally; 40-42 vertebrae; 7-29 gill-rakers; 11-12 anal-fin rays; caudal saddle and bar pattern very faintly expressed; 7-8 branched caudal-fin rays; body finely spotted; lateral line complete (Ref. 44050).

Description: head depressed; snout and tooth patches narrow; body more or less fusiform; 17-18 abdominal vertebrae; 23-25 caudal vertebrae; 19 caudal-fin rays (arrangement: ii-7-8-ii) (Ref. 44050).

Coloration: bicolored, occasionally sharply so; dorsum tan or light brown, venter pale and largely unpigmented, except for slight stippling on the underside of the head and around anal and pelvic fin bases, and scattered small spots; flank and dorsum well marked with generally small spots, 1-1.5 times an eye diameter large or smaller, with sometimes larger blotches posteriad; pectoral fin unspotted, rays may be dusky in adults; pelvic fin generally opaque, unspotted; adipose with pale distal margin, otherwise marked as dorsum; anal fin matches body ground color, lightly spotted in adults, with a pale distal margin in juveniles and adults; distal 2/3 of caudal fin dusky in juveniles and young, bounded by a clear distal margin and pale basal crescent; caudal fin in adults matches dorsum and flank ground color, except for a clear distal margin, and is well marked with fine spots in large adults (larger than 40cm SL); caudal saddle and bar pattern weakly developed, even in young; saddle slightly darker than ground color and extends to about mid-depth; pale interspace slightly lighter than ground color; caudal bar somewhat darker than saddle and present mostly on the caudal peduncle (not the caudal fin) (Ref. 44050).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Malapterurus microstoma

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb 5 - 24
on upper limb 2 - 5
total 7 - 29
Vertebrae
preanal
total 40 - 42

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes greatly reduced or absent
Fins number
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total
Soft-rays total
Adipose fin present

Caudal fin

Attributes more or less normal

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 0 - 0
Soft-rays total 10 - 13

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   8 - 10
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    abdominal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   6
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
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