180 



CICIILID.^. 



20. TILAPIA AUROMARGINATA. 

 Bouleng. Ann. & Mag. N. H. (8) ii. 1908, p. 241. 



Depth of body 2| times in total length, length of head 3^ to "^ times. 

 Head twice as long as broad ; snout rounded, with straight or slightly 

 convex upper profile, nearly as long as broad, as long as postocular 

 part of head; eye 3^ to 4 times in length of head, 1^ times in 

 interorbital width, equal to pi seorbital depth ; mouth moderate, § width 

 of head, extending to between nostril and eye ; teeth small, many on 

 the sides simply conical, in 4 or 5 series, 60 to 80 in outer series of 

 upper jaw ; 3 or 4 series of scales on the cheek, width of scaly part 

 equal to diameter of eye. Gill-rakers rather short, tuberculate, 15 to 17 



Fig. 115. 



Tdapia auromarginata. 



Type. 



on lower part of anterior arch. Dorsal XVIl-XVIII 11 ; spines 

 increasing in length to the last, which is a little less than ^ length of 

 head; longest soft rays f to f length of head. Anal III 10; third 

 spine ^ length of head. Pectoral as long as head, not reaching origin of 

 anal. Ventral reaching origin of anal. Caudal densely scaled, distinctly 

 emarginate. Caudal peduncle 1 j to 1§- times as long as deep. Scales 

 cycloid or very indistinctly denticulate, 33-35 j2=i3 ' lateral lines ^b-r- 

 Dark blue above, bluish white beneath; dorsal and anal dark blue, 



