512 



S1LURID.E. 



1. MALOPTERURUS ELECTRICUS. 



Raja torpedo, Forsk. Descr. Anim. p. 15 (1775). 



Le Trembleur, Brousson. Mem. Ac. Sci. 1782, p. (192, pi. xvii. (1785). 



Silurus electricus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1351 (1789). 



Malapterurus electricus, Lacep. Hist. Poiss. v. p. 91 (1803) ; I. Geoffr. Descr. 



Egypte, Poiss. p. 291, pi. xii. (1827) ; Joannis, Mag. Zool. 1835, Poiss. pi. i. • 



Guv. & Val. Hist. Poiss. xv. p. 518, pi. cceclv. (1840); Gunth. Cat. Fish. v. 



p. 219 (1864) ; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1868, p. 121. and Reise Mossamb. iv. 



p. 41 (1868) ; Gunth. Petherick's Trav. ii. p. 240 (1869) ; G. Fritsch, Elektr. 



Fische, i. (1887) ; Ballowitz, Elekt. Org. Afr. Zitterwels. (1899): Bouleng. 



Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 338, pi. xvi. fig. 2 (1901), and Fish. Nile, p. 395, 



pis. lxxvii. & Ixxviii. (1907). 

 Rahad, Rifaud, Voy. Egypte, pi. 192 (1835). 

 Malapterurus beninensis, And. Murray, Edinb. New Philos. Journ. (2) ii. 1855, 



p. 49, pi. ii.; Gunth. Cat. Fish. v. p. 220; Lonnb. Of v. Vet.-Ak. Forli. 



Stockh. 1895, p. 187. 

 Malapterurus ajinis, Giinth. 1. c. 

 Malapterurus electricus, var. ogoensis, Sauv. Bull. Soc. Philom. (7) iii. 1878, p. 99, 



and N. Arch. Mus. (2) iii. 1880, p. 45, pi. i. fig. 3. 



Depth of body 4 to 5J times in total length, length of head 4 to 5 

 times ; back flattened, sometimes feebly grooved along the spine. Head 



Fi<r. ri82. 



Malopterurus electricus. 

 Nile (F. N.). J. 



as long as broad or a little longer than broad ; snout rounded, about 

 •j length of head ; lower jaw sometimes slightly projecting ; eye very 

 small, lateral, its diameter 6 (young) to 15 times in length of head ; 

 interocular region | (young) to f length of head ; maxillary barbel 

 ■§■ to f length of head ; outer mandibular barbel longer, often reaching 

 root of pectoral or a little beyond. Adipose dorsal low, 3 to 5 times as 

 long as deep, narrowly separated from caudal. Anal III 6-10. 

 Pectoral rounded, £ to f length of head, as long as or a little longer 



