366 



CICHLIDJi. 



Head twice as long as broad ; snout with curved upper profile, rounded, 

 broader than long, as long as postocular part of head, shorter than eye, 

 which is 2§ to 2§ times in length of head, equals interorbital width and 

 3 times prseorbital depth ; mouth extending to below anterior fourth of 

 eye; teeth very small, in 2 or 3 series, 70 to 90 in outer series of upper 

 jaw ; 2 or 3 series of scales on the cheek, width of scaly part not i 

 diameter of eye. Gill-rakers rather long, 17 to 19 on lower part of 

 anterior area. Dorsal XII-XIII 12-14 ; spines subequal from the 

 eighth or ninth, which measures nearly ^ length of head and \ to -J 

 longest soft rays. Anal III 9-10 ; third spine about \ length of head. 

 Pectoral as long as or a little longer than head, extending to vertical of 



Fig. 248. 



.«t~ 



tff 





y j° 



?» 



'V 



9* 



Faratilapia ventralis. 

 Type (Tr. Z. S. 1898). f . 



origin of anal or a little beyond. Ventral produced into a very long 

 filament, which, in males, is bifid at the end and may reach the 

 caudal fin. Caudal with deep crescentic notch. Caudal peduncle lj 

 to 1-j times as long as deep. Scales denticulate, 34-36 foij^; lateral 



30-36 



lines ioEif 6 , the upper extending to the caudal peduncle, or to the root 

 of the caudal. Greyish brown to blackish, with or without irregular 

 darker or lighter spots ; fins grey or dorsal and anal blue-green edged 

 with blackish ; ventrals of males black, with the end bright yellow. 



Total length 92 millim. 

 Lake Tanganyika. 



