>o. 2294. FISHES FROM WEST AFRICA— FOWLER. 245 



Related to Tilapia hrevimanus Boulenger, from Portuguese Guinea, 

 in contour, cheek scales, dentition and squamation generally. It 

 differs, however, in the presence of a horizontal dark median band, 

 deeper body, rather fewer dorsal spines, mostly more anal rays, and 

 longer pectoral. 



(For the Rev. Thomas S. Savage, who collected fishes many years 

 ago in Liberia.) 



TILAPIA bUtTIKOFERI (Hubrechl). 



Head, 2f to 2|; depth, 2 to 2^; D. XIV or XV, 16 or 17; A. Ill, 

 11 or 12; scales, 21 or 22 in upper section of lateral line, 11 to 13 in 

 lower section to caudal base, and 2 or 3 more on latter; predorsal 

 scales, 14 or 15; snout, 2| to 3 in head; eye, 3^ to 5; maxillary, 

 3 to 3f ; interorbital, 2^ to 3. Body well compressed: contour deeply 

 ellipsoid, deepest at end of ventral spine. Caudal peduncle com- 

 pressed; length. If to 2 in its least depth and latter 2 in head. Head 

 width, 1-i to 1| in its length. Snout broad as long; length, four- 

 fifths its width in young. Eye little elevated, about midway in head 

 length, slightly advanced in young. Mouth moderate, terminal, 

 jaws about even. Maxillary slightly beyond nostril; expansion 

 about 1^ in eye. Teeth in strong outer row in each jaw, truncate, 

 and with two inner rows above and below inside inconspicuous. 

 Young with outer teeth more notched and single inner row above and 

 below. Interorbital convex. Rakers, 4 + 10 or 11 short strong 

 points, about 2 in filaments, and latter 1| in eye. Scales, large, 

 cycloid, circuli very fine and about 14 radiating basal radii, 11 in 

 young. Caudal scaly over basal two-thirds, at least on membranes 

 of fin. Cheek with five rows of scales; vertical diameter of cheek 

 below eye equals 1+i- eye-diameters. Tubes in lateral line simple, 

 over entire scale exposure. Last dorsal spine, 1| in head (2 in young), 

 sixth dorsal ray, l\ (If in young); third anal spine, 2| (2| in young). 

 Caudal truncate, slightly convex when expanded, \\ in head (If 

 in young); pectoral, 1^ (IJ in young); ventral spine, 2^ (2 in young). 

 Color in alcohol dull brownish generally, with 8 broad blackish 

 vertical bands, meeting below, first through eye and last at caudal 

 base. Pectoral pale brownish; other fins mostly blackish; all with 

 pale edges. Young with broad dusky bands reflected on vertical 

 fins, so that soft dorsal and anal with three dark transverse blotches 

 or streaks; basal much larger and black. Also young usually with 

 another transverse black band across caudal near base. Black 

 blotch at corner of opercle little smaller than eye, and all with con- 

 spicuous black blotch at origin of soft dorsal where transverse dark 

 band crosses. Iris slaty. Length, 75 to 245 mm.; three examples. 



These differ from Boulenger's examples slightly,^ the adult having 

 the long ventral filaments extending back beyond anal base, but 



1 Cat. Fresh Water Fish, Africa, vol. 3, 1915, p. 214, fig. 138. 



