288 



CHARACINID^E. 



concave upper profile; lower jaw projecting beyond upper; snout 

 shorter than eye, which is 2^ to 2|- times in length of head ; inter- 

 orbital width 2| times in length of head ; maxillary extending to 

 below anterior border of eye ; outer praemaxillary teeth 4, alter- 

 nating with those of the inner row, 8 in number ; 8 teeth in lower 

 jaw. Gill-rakers short, 12-15 on lower part of anterior arch. Dorsal 

 II 8, originating just behind vertical of base of ventrals, at equal 

 distance from nostrils and from caudal, longest ray longer than bead. 



Fig. 181. 



Petersius major. 

 Type. 



Adipose fin large, its depth at least \ length of head. Anal III 18-19. 

 Pectoral a little shorter than head, not quite reaching ventral. Caudal 

 forked. Caudal peduncle a little longer than deep. Scales 24-26 gf, 2 

 between lateral line and ventral; lateral line incomplete, not extending 

 beyond 11th to 15th scale. Silvery, yellowish on the back; a small 

 black spot often present above the shoulder ; a black band on the side 

 of the tail, continued on median rays of caudal ; dorsal fin greyish, 

 with a band of orange-red ; ventral fin black at the tip ; base of anal and 

 caudal orange in males, yellow in females. 



Total length 85 millim. 



South Cameroon. 



1-2. Types. Ja River (Congo System) at Bitye. G. L. Bates, Esq. (0.). 

 o. Ad. ,, ,, j, 



4. Ad. Kribi River at Efulen. „ 



5-11. Ad. Nyong Biver. ,, 



12. Skel. „ „ 



