WRIGHT AND PAGE: Taxonomic revision of Lake Tanganyikan Synodontis


28' 30'


Figure 18. Known distribution of Sy
T denotes type locality.


petricola). Synodontis irsacae is f
from S. petricola and S. lucipinnis ii
spines (vs. white fin spines). Black tria
fins of S. irsacae and the lack of pal
(vs. villous papillae) further separate
S. melanostictus, and adult S. tanga
 Description. Morphometric an
Table 7. Maximum TL 190 mm, SL 1:
compressed. Predorsal profile slightly
profile straight to convex. Skin on bod
ous vertical folds; papillae absent.
 Head slightly depressed; broad;
granular papillae; papillae extend onto
barbel and anterior portion of body c
with bluntly rounded margin when vie
dorsally. Occipito-nuchal shield cove
minating posteriorly with narrow, blunt
on either side of dorsal spine; veni
rounded process that extends to upp
meral process on either side of body. 1
ovoid; horizontal axis longer. Interort
 Mouth inferior; lips wide and pa]
lar teeth 15-29, short, unicuspid; arrange
verse row. Premaxillary toothpad inte
secondary and tertiary premaxillary t


 32' merous; arranged in 3, 1-2, and 1 irregular rows, re-
 S/ spectively.
 Maxillary barbel with distinct basal membrane;
 extending to, or just past base of pectoral fin; granular
 -1 ( papillae on base and along anterior margin. Lateral
 mandibular barbel extending to point just short of ante-
 rior margin of pectoral girdle, with 2-7 short, tubercu-
si1 R late branches; secondary branches sometimes present.
 Medial mandibular barbel about half length of lateral
 barbel; with 4-5 pairs of tuberculate branches; second-
anzania ary branches present.
 Dorsal fin 11,7; posterior margin straight. Dorsal-
 fin spine short; striated, slightly curved, terminating in
 short, dark filament; anterior margin of fin spine smooth
 in small specimens; becoming granulous with growth;
 posterior margin with small serrations distally. Pectoral
 i\ kam fin 1,8-9; posterior margin straight to broadly rounded.
 _8' Pectoral-fin spine roughly equal in length to dorsal-fin
 spine; striated, slightly curved, terminating in short, dark
 ia filament; anterior spine margin granulous in adult speci-
 ambia mens; smooth in juvenile specimens; posterior margin
 km 32 with large retrorse serrations along entire length. Adi-
 0 5o 10o pose fin long, well developed, margin convex. Pelvic fin
 nodontis irsacae. i,6; located at vertical midway between posterior base
 of dorsal fin and origin of adipose fins; tip of appressed
 fin barely reaches base of anal fin. Anal fin iii-v,7-9;
 posterior margin rounded; base located ventral to ante-
'urther separated rior third of adipose fin. Caudal fin i,7,8,i; forked; lobes
i having dark fin rounded.
ngles on the rayed Humeral process narrow, elongated, granulous;
pillae on the skin weakly developed ridge on ventral margin; dorsal mar-
this species from gin concave; terminating in rounded point (Fig. 5B).
naicae. Axillary pore absent. Gut 0.7-0.8 times body length (n =
d meristic data in 5, MRAC 130315, MRAC A3-033-P-0036-0040, UF
57 mm. Body not 160941). Hindgut chamber absent.
convex. Preanal Coloration. Dorsum grayish to cuprous brown
y forming numer- (Fig. 17). Belly coloration slightly lighter than dorsum.
 Scattered, irregularly-shaped black spots present on ju-
skin covered with venile specimens. Spots becoming slightly smaller in
base of maxillary large specimens. Maxillary barbel white. Mandibular
nly. Snout long, barbels white, bases sometimes with scattered dusky
*wed laterally and pigmentation. Iris copper colored. Dorsal and pectoral-
red with skin; ter- fin spines dark, terminating in short, light to dusky col-
ly pointed process ored filaments. Anterior margin and venter of pectoral
rally with wide, fin light colored. All rayed fins with black triangles at
er margin of hu- their base in young specimens; posterior margins white
Eyes dorsolateral; in color. Both lobes of caudal fin black, posterior margin
aital area flat. white.


pillate. Mandibu-
ged in single trans-
errupted; primary,
eeth discrete; nu-


 Distribution. Lake Tanganyika (Fig. 18); com-
mon and widely distributed.
 Habitat. Littoral to benthic zones over shell, sand
and mud bottoms, to a maximum depth of 40 m (Coulter