The Freshwater Fishes of South, Africa. 



355 



7. LABEO RUBROPUNCTATUS, n. sp. 



Body compressed ; its depth 3 to 3^ times in total length excluding 

 caudal, length of head 3^ to 4yL times. Width of head f to f its 

 length ; snout rounded, swollen, strongly projecting, longer than 

 postocular part of head and f to \ length of head ; eye perfectly 

 lateral, situated in posterior halt of head, 5 to 7 times in length of 

 head ; interorbital width | to length of head ; width of mouth, with 

 lips, 2 to 3 times in length of head ; lips with small papillae forming 

 transverse plicae on inner side, upper lip not distinctly fringed on the 

 edge, lower with papillae on upper border and festooned on lower 

 edge ; rostral flap entire or very feebly denticulate, more or less 



Fin. 24. Labeo rubropunctatus. 



detached at its sides ; a small barbel, more or less hidden under folds 

 of skin ; tubercules on snout, or their crater-like scars, much de- 

 veloped in adult. 



Dorsal iii 11 ; equally distant from nostrils or eye and from base of 

 caudal, border feebly concave or straight; longest ray / to 1 (in 

 young) length of head. Anal iii 5 ; reaching to caudal. Pectoral f to 

 i length of head, not reaching ventral, the first ray of which falls 

 below 4th or 5th branched ray of dorsal. Caudal deeply ernarginate, 

 crescentic when spread out ; caudal peduncle 1 T ' ( , to 1J as deep as 

 long. Scales 36-38 f^, 4-5 between lateral line and ventral, 18 

 round caudal peduncle. 



Colour (of preserved specimens), dark brown or bronze-green 



