| Main Ref. | Lavoué, S., J.P. Sullivan and M.E. Arnegard, 2010 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Petrocephalus microphthalmus is distinguished from all other Petrocephalus species in Central Africa by the following combination of characteristics: short dorsal fin with only 18 or fewer branched rays, long anal fin with 23-27 branched rays, eye small (HL/ED=4,1-4,8), mouth moderately wide, only 9-11 teeth in the upper jaw, 14-20 teeth in the lower jaw, no more than 10 scales between the anterior base of the anal fin and the lateral line (Ref. 52344, 85331). Absence of black pigment patches, except for a characteristic black blotch on the anterior dorsal fin rays near the origin of this fin; body silvery/purplish, iridescent (Ref. 85331). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 33 - 36 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 8 - 10 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 12 - 12 |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 18 - 21 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 25 - 29 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal before origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |