Morphology Data of Synodontis tessmanni
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Fermon, Y., J. Friel, H.H. Ng and D. De Weirdt, 2007
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
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

Diagnosis: Body uniformly coloured; caudal fin not spotted; Interorbital distance at most 86.6% of snout length; Entire margin of opercle smooth, caudal fin without single dark

patch at base of each fin lobe

maxillary barbels

with a distinct basal membrane; 21 to 24 movable mandibular teeth; Postocular length at least 60% of snout length, maxillary barbel at least 0.8 times HL; dorsal spine long prolonged by a short filament, without serrations along anterior edge and only a few (2-4) distally on posterior edge (Ref. 81251).

Description: mandibular barbels with few branches, broad, partly tuberculate; snout subconical and quite long; lips well-developed, with papillae; humeral process weakly keeled, granular and pointed; adipose fin short and moderately deep; pectoral spine prolonged by a short filament, strongly serrated with twice as many serrations along anterior edge as posterior edge; pelvic fin not reaching anal fin; caudal fin deeply forked, with equal lobes; caudal peduncle as long as deep (Ref. 81251).

Coloration: dorsum brownish with somewhat obscured light band along lateral line; no dark spots; ventrally lighter brown; dorsal, anal and pelvic fins with dark band and edges; caudal fin with a dark border along all edges (Ref. 81251).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Synodontis tessmanni

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 6
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   0
Ventral  0
Spines total 1
Soft-rays total
Adipose fin present

Caudal fin

Attributes forked

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 0
Soft-rays total

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  
Spines     1
Soft-rays   
Pelvics Attributes  
Position    
Spines     0
Soft-rays   
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
Comments & Corrections
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