494 



Annals of the South African Museum. 



with straight or convex upper profile, about f as long as broad, -| to ^ 

 postocular part of head ; eye 3 (young) to 6~ times in length of 

 head, 1^ (young) to 2| times in interorbital width, equal to prae- 

 orbital depth in adult ; mouth moderate, \ to -| width of head, 

 extending to between nostril and eye ; teeth in 4 (young) to 7 series,* 

 50 (young) to 110 in outer series of upper jaw; 2 series of scales on 

 the cheek, width of scaly part less than diameter of eye. Gill-rakers 

 moderate, 17 to 21 on lower part of anterior arch. 





FIG. 126. Tilapia squamipinnis. Type, after Giinther (P.Z.S., 1893). |. 



Dorsal xvi 10-11 ; spines subequal from middle ones, or last 

 longest, -f- to i length of head ; longest soft rays i to f length of 

 head. Anal iii 8-9 ; third spine -\ to ~- length of head. Pectoral as 

 long as or slightly longer than head, reaching origin of anal or 

 a little beyond. Ventral reaching vent or not so far Caudal 

 densely scaled, rounded with a, feeble median notch, or upper angle 

 pointed. Caudal peduncle a little longer than deep. Scales cycloid, 



32-36 



lateral lines 



. 



Pale greyish olive, with or without 8 more or less regular blackish 

 cross-bars, or dark brown to bluish-black ; soft dorsal with oblique 

 dark streaks, or fins bluish-black with a yellow or orange edge ; the 

 blackish cross-bars constant in the young, which bear a large black 

 spot on the anterior part of the soft dorsal. 



* " In one of the specimens received from Capt. Rhoades, all the outer teeth are 

 conical, without secondary cusps." 



