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The above described specimen was caught in the same rivulet as the foregoing species, near the waterfall of the river N'dian.
Fundulus sjöstedti n. sp.
Of this species, which I have named in honor of the collector, I have had the opportunity to see a beautiful and well preserved male, and a female in less good condition. The former was caught in the same rivulet as the foregoing specimens, the latter at Bonge, together with Eleotris Büttikoferi, in a muddy rivulet.
The coloration of the male is splendid, brown with bright carmine-red markings. The sides of the head are reticulated with oblique red bands and narrower red streaks. A red band under the chin, along the curvature of the lower jaw. The sides of the anterior part of the body to about the tip of the pectoral fins is irregularly spotted with red spots, which are situated on the posterior half of the scales and therefore partly form longitudinal rows. Across the sides of the body, behind the pectoral fins to the base of the caudal, are 8 or 9 carmine-red vertical bars. The upper half of the caudal fin is provided with broad longitudinal red bands on the web between the rays, the lower half is partly streaked, partly spotted in the same way. Along the base of the dorsal fin extends a bright carmine-red band. The fin itself, as well as the pectoral and ventral fins, is spotted with red. The anal fin is also spotted with red, especially in its exterior part, where, the large spots become more or less confluent. The coloration of the female is neither so bright nor so well preserved, but so much can be seen that at least both dorsal and anal fins have been spotted with red. On the scales of the body some red spots can also be traced. Number of dorsal rays 17 — 18, but the first is nearly rudimentary; number of anal rays 17 in both sexes. In the female, the pectoral fins do not extend to the root of the ventral fins. In the male, on the contrary, the fins are considerably enlarged, so that the pectoral fins reach a good deal beyond the root of the ventral fins. In the female, the hindmost dorsal rays barely reach the first caudal rays; but the anal rays do not reach so far as to the caudal. In the male the posterior rays of the dorsal and anal fins are produced, filamentous, so that the former extend greatly beyond the root of the caudal and the latter less so. In the male also the middle rays (especially the ones in the upper part of the middle) of the caudal are strongly produced. The origin of the dorsal fin is in the male midway between the root of the caudal and the eye, in the female about midway between the root of the caudal and the opercle, a little nearer to the latter. The origin of the dorsal fin is a little anterior to the origin of the anal fin in the male, in the female a little posterior to the same. The total length of the male including the caudal fin is 111 mm. without caudal 78 mm. The length of the female without the caudal fin 68 mm. The length of the head is contained in the length of the body without the caudal fin 3,7 — 3,6 times. The length of the snout is contained in the length of the head about 4 times. The diameter of the eye is contained about 4 — 4,2 times in the length of the head. The interorbital space 2,3 — ^2,4 in the same length.
Number of scales in the lateral line 35 + 3, in a transverse line 11.
The lower jaw projects beyond the upper. The outermost series of the teeth is strongly developed, conical and curved inwards. Behind the rather broad band of small villiform teeth there is in both jaws a second series of enlarged teeth, but these are not so large as the outer. The strong development of the teeth indicates Fundulus sjöstedti to be a fish of prey. The intestinal tract is short.
Fundulus sjöstedti is related to F. orthonotus (Peters) Günther, but the number of rays in the fins, as well as the number of scales in the lateral line is different. Besides all the anal rays of the female of F. Sjöstedti are articulated and the coloration as well is different in both species.
F. orthonotus is known from the east coast of Africa.
Of this species, which I have named in honor of the collector, I have had the opportunity to see a beautiful and well preserved male, and a female in less good condition. The former was caught in the same rivulet as the foregoing specimens, the latter at Bonge, together with Eleotris Büttikoferi, in a muddy rivulet.
The coloration of the male is splendid, brown with bright carmine-red markings. The sides of the head are reticulated with oblique red bands and narrower red streaks. A red band under the chin, along the curvature of the lower jaw. The sides of the anterior part of the body to about the tip of the pectoral fins is irregularly spotted with red spots, which are situated on the posterior half of the scales and therefore partly form longitudinal rows. Across the sides of the body, behind the pectoral fins to the base of the caudal, are 8 or 9 carmine-red vertical bars. The upper half of the caudal fin is provided with broad longitudinal red bands on the web between the rays, the lower half is partly streaked, partly spotted in the same way. Along the base of the dorsal fin extends a bright carmine-red band. The fin itself, as well as the pectoral and ventral fins, is spotted with red. The anal fin is also spotted with red, especially in its exterior part, where, the large spots become more or less confluent. The coloration of the female is neither so bright nor so well preserved, but so much can be seen that at least both dorsal and anal fins have been spotted with red. On the scales of the body some red spots can also be traced. Number of dorsal rays 17 — 18, but the first is nearly rudimentary; number of anal rays 17 in both sexes. In the female, the pectoral fins do not extend to the root of the ventral fins. In the male, on the contrary, the fins are considerably enlarged, so that the pectoral fins reach a good deal beyond the root of the ventral fins. In the female, the hindmost dorsal rays barely reach the first caudal rays; but the anal rays do not reach so far as to the caudal. In the male the posterior rays of the dorsal and anal fins are produced, filamentous, so that the former extend greatly beyond the root of the caudal and the latter less so. In the male also the middle rays (especially the ones in the upper part of the middle) of the caudal are strongly produced. The origin of the dorsal fin is in the male midway between the root of the caudal and the eye, in the female about midway between the root of the caudal and the opercle, a little nearer to the latter. The origin of the dorsal fin is a little anterior to the origin of the anal fin in the male, in the female a little posterior to the same. The total length of the male including the caudal fin is 111 mm. without caudal 78 mm. The length of the female without the caudal fin 68 mm. The length of the head is contained in the length of the body without the caudal fin 3,7 — 3,6 times. The length of the snout is contained in the length of the head about 4 times. The diameter of the eye is contained about 4 — 4,2 times in the length of the head. The interorbital space 2,3 — ^2,4 in the same length.
Number of scales in the lateral line 35 + 3, in a transverse line 11.
The lower jaw projects beyond the upper. The outermost series of the teeth is strongly developed, conical and curved inwards. Behind the rather broad band of small villiform teeth there is in both jaws a second series of enlarged teeth, but these are not so large as the outer. The strong development of the teeth indicates Fundulus sjöstedti to be a fish of prey. The intestinal tract is short.
Fundulus sjöstedti is related to F. orthonotus (Peters) Günther, but the number of rays in the fins, as well as the number of scales in the lateral line is different. Besides all the anal rays of the female of F. Sjöstedti are articulated and the coloration as well is different in both species.
F. orthonotus is known from the east coast of Africa.
| Copyright 2024 Richard J. Sexton |