| Main Ref. | Lévêque, C., 2003 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | other |
| Different appearance | males alike females |
| Different colors | males alike females |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | striking type of mouth |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly convex |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | sub-terminal/inferior |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Diagnosis: mental disk well developed; rostral lobe well developed, edge denticulate; dorsal profile flat; scale formula 5.5/36-38/-; 3 scales between lateral line and pelvic-fin base; 16 scales around caudal peduncle; 7-8 dorsal fin branched rays; 5 anal fin branched rays; known from Senegal to Upper Niger (Ref. 2940, 81282). Description: body depth comprised from 5 to 7x SL; snout long and rounded; mouth inferior with lower lip forming a mental disk with free marginal membrane (either entire or slightly trilobed posteriorly); two very small barbels on either side; D:III,7-8; A:II,5; P:14-15; V:8-9 (Ref. 2940, 81282). Coloration: back greyish-black, belly yellowish-white; more or less distinct and regular dark longitudinal band along middle of sides; black spot behind gill cover and red spot (in live specimens) above upper end of gill slit; black blotch at base of caudal peduncle and black vertical bar at caudal-fin base; some black spots at base of dorsal fin; fins sometimes tinged with pink in life (Ref. 2940, 81282). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 36 - 38 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 5 - 6 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 16 - 16 |
| Barbels | 4 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 2 - 3 |
| on upper limb | 10 - 12 |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 10 - 11 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 7 - 7 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 14 - 15 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 8 - 9 |