GBIF Taxonomic Backbone & Wikipedia Registry Profile
Description. General body shape as shown in Figure 1. Morphometric data are in Table 1. Body elongate, compressed laterally, more so towards caudal peduncle. Dorsal profile smoothly arched to dorsal- fin origin, then gently sloping towards caudal peduncle. Ventral profile slightly curved from chest to abdomen, then more or less round up to pelvic-fin origin, straight from pelvic- to caudal-fin base. Head large depressed, with a slightly convex interorbital space. Eyes, dorso-laterally located, closer to posterior margin of opercle than to snout tip. Snout rounded, with a prominent transverse lobe covered with 14 – 20 multi-cuspid tubercles, demarcated posteriorly by a deep transverse groove; depressed rostral surface slightly concave; a prominent unilobed proboscis which slightly extends forward up to the transverse groove but not reaching the transverse lobe, with 3 – 5 medium to large multicuspid tubercles on the anterior margin and 4 – 6 multi-cuspid tubercles on anteroventral margin (Fig. 2 a). Proboscis moderately elevated, sharply separated from the depressed rostral surface by a deep transverse groove; a prominent transverse lobe on the snout with 14 – 20 multi-cuspid tubercles; lateral surface of snout slightly elevated, lobular with 7 – 11 small tubercles. Depressed rostral surface slightly concave. Sublachrymal groove long, connected to groove on rostral cap. Rostral lobe absent. Barbels in two pairs; rostral barbels anteroventrally located, slightly shorter than eye diameter; maxillary barbels at corner of mouth, shorter than rostral barbels. Rostral cap well- developed, slightly fimbriate, papillate ventral surface moderately wide; separated from upper jaw by deep groove and laterally continuous with lower lip (Fig. 2 b). Upper jaw entirely covered by rostral cap. Disc elliptical; papillae on posteromedian region of anteromedian fold medium; groove between anteromedian fold and central callous pad shallow; anterolateral lobe of lower lip present; papillae on inner half of whole length of lateroposterior flap medium, regularly arranged; anterior marginal surface of central callous pad with small randomly arranged papillae; posteriormost margin of lateroposterior flap extending vertically to posterior margin of the eye. Dorsal fin with 3 (6) simple and 8 ½ (6) branched rays, first branched ray longest, last not extending to vertical from anal-fin origin; distal margin concave; origin nearer to snout tip than to caudal-fin base, anterior to vertical from pelvic-fin origin. Pectoral fin with 1 (6) simple and 15 (6) branched rays, margin subacuminate, fifth branched ray longest, not extending to pelvic-fin base. Pelvic fin with 1 (6) simple and 7 (3) or 8 (3) branched rays, second branched ray longest, not extending to anal- fin base; origin closer to anal-fin origin than to pectoral-fin origin origin vertically below base of second branched dorsal-fin ray; distal margin truncate. Anal fin with 3 (6) simple and 5 ½ (6) branched rays, first branched ray longest; distal margin slightly concave, origin closer to caudal-fin base than to pelvic-fin origin. Anus closer to anal fin than to pelvic-fin origin (15 – 27 % of that between pelvic-fin origin and anal-fin origin). Caudal fin forked; lower lobe slightly longer than upper lobe; 10 + 9 principal rays. Lateral line complete, with 33 (4) or 34 (2) scales; 5 ½ (6) transverse scales rows above lateral line; 3 ½ (6) rows between lateral line and pelvic- fin origin: 3 ½ (2) or 4 ½ (4) rows between lateral line and anal- fin origin. Circumpeduncular scales 16 (6). Predorsal scales 10 (6); arranged regularly. Chest and belly scaled. Long axillary scale at base of pelvic fin, its tip reaching posterior end of pelvic-fin origin. Six (6) scales along the dorsal-fin base, 5 (6) along the anal-fin base and 3 (6) scales between anus and anal-fin origin. Colour. In formalin, body dark gray dorsally; light brownish or yellowish ventrally and below lateral line. Dorsum of head, snout and opercles dark brown. Mouth, chest and abdomen yellowish white or light gray. Pectoral fin darker gray than pelvic and anal fins. Base of branched dorsal-fin rays spotted with black. Lower lobe of the caudal fin darker brown than upper lobe. A black spot at upper angle of the gill opening.
