Morphology Data of Labeotropheus artatorostris
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Pauers, M.J., 2017
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral short and / or deep
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

Diagnosis: All diagnostic characteristics of Labeotropheus are present, including a steeply sloping head; broad, fleshy snout; wide jaws with retrognathous lower jaw; and an interior and subterminal mouth (Ref. 116021). Labeotropheus artatorostris differs from the slender-bodied Labeotropheus, L. trewavasae and L. simoneae, by its deeper body depth, 34.3-42.0% of standard length vs. 26.9-30.8% in L. simoneae and 25.3-33.4% in L. trewavasae; greater distance between insertion of dorsal fin and origin of anal fin, 29.2-34.0% of standard length vs. 27.4-28.6% in L. simoneae and 26.3-29.1% in L. trewavasae; and greater distance between origin of dorsal fin and insertion of pelvic fins, 36.1-41.1% of standard length vs. 27.5-32.8% in L. simoneae and 26.1-32.7% in L. trewavasae (Ref. 116021). Labeotropheus artatorostris is different from L. curvirostris by having more teeth rows in both the upper and lower jaws, 5-8 vs. 3 and 3-8 vs. 1, respectively; more infraorbital neuromasts, 12-36 vs. 9; shorter upper jaw, 15.6-22.9% of head length vs. 23.6%; and a narrower snout, 33.2-40.2% of head length vs. 42.6% (Ref. 116021). It differs from L. fuelleborni due to a shorter snout pad, 7.43-14.2% of head length vs. 14.9-17.2% in L. fuelleborni and 9.0-17.2% in types of L. fuelleborni and Messule specimens; more rows of teeth in the upper jaw, 5-8 vs. 4-5 in L. fuelleborni types and Messule specimens; and more gillrakers on the first ceratobranchial, 7-10 vs. 7-8 in L. fuelleborni (Ref. 116021). It differs from L. chlorosiglos due to greater distance between the opercular tabs, 16.6-18.7% of standard length vs. 14.7-15.7% in L. chlorosiglos; and greater distance between origin of dorsal fin and insertion of pelvic fin, 36.1-41.1% of standard length vs. 33.0-36.0% in L. chlorosiglos (Ref. 116021). Labeotropheus artatorostris also has longer pectoral fins, 24.6-33.3% of standard length, than all other species of Labeotropheus: 22.2-26.0% in L. chlorosiglos, 23.1-25.7% in L. fuelleborni, 22.2-29.3% in L. fuelleborni types and Messule specimens, 21.9-26.3% in L. simoneae, and 18.4-23.9% in L. trewavasae; it has also a wider body than all other species of Labeotropheus, body width at pectoral fins 14.0-18.3% of standard length vs. 12.7-14.3% in L. chlorosiglos, 15.0-16.9% in L. fuelleborni, 13.1-17.9% in L. fuelleborni types and Messule specimens, 13.0-15.6% in L. simoneae, and 12.1-16.6% in L. trewavasae; body width at opercular tabs 16.6-18.7% of standard length vs. 14.7-15.7% in L. chlorosiglos, 16.2-18.2% in L. fuelleborni, 15.3-18.4% in L. fuelleborni types and Messule specimens, 14.7-16.7% in L. simoneae, and 12.1-16.6% in L. trewavasae (Ref. 116021). Finally, L. artatorostris differs from all other species of Labeotropheus based on fin colouration of males: presence of orange-red pigmentation in pelvic, anal, and rayed dorsal fins in L. artatorostris vs. all fins blue in L. fuelleborni and L. trewavasae, and whitish-blue anal and yellow-rayed dorsal fins in L. chlorosiglos and L. simoneae; Labeotropheus artatorostris also lacks the large orange flank patch found in L. chlorosiglos and L. simoneae, and the orange pigmentation present on operculum of L. simoneae (Ref. 116021).

Description: Body depth 34.3-42.0% of standard length, and distance between dorsal-fin insertion and anal-fin insertion 15.4-18.3% of standard length; body wide, width at opercular tabs 16.6-18.7% of head length and width at pectoral fins 14.0-18.3% of head length (Ref. 116021). Head long, head length 29.9-34.9% of standard length, and relatively deep, head depth 93.6-114.8% of head length; cheek with 2-5 scale rows; snout relatively long but narrow; snout length 25.2-40.8% of head length, snout width 33.3-40.2% of head length; snout pad short, 7.4-14.2% of head length (Ref. 116021). Oral jaws compact; lower jaws long but narrow, 23.7-39.3% of head length and 39.0-48.1% of head length, respectively; but lateral length of mandible relatively long, 15.6-22.9% of head length; upper jaw with 5-8 rows of teeth, and 4-10 teeth on lateral portion of left upper jaw; lower jaw 3-8 rows of teeth, and 19-35 teeth present in left half of first row of lower jaw (Ref. 116021). Gill rakers stout, triangular, and widely spaced; 7-10 on ceratobranchial and 1-4 epibranchial gill rakers on first gill arch; all specimens with 1 raker between the cerato- and epibranchial rakers; 9-13 total gill rakers (Ref. 116021). Dorsal fin 56.2-64.5% of standard length, with 15-18 spines and 8-9 rays; pectoral fins long, 24.6-33.3% of standard length, rounded, with 12-15 rays; pelvic fins long, especially in mature males, reaching anal-fin origin and sometimes beyond, with 6 rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 6-8 rays (Ref. 116021). Anterior lateral line with 21-24 scales, posterior lateral line with 9-16 scales, and 0-6 scales overlapping between the anterior and posterior lateral lines (Ref. 116021).

Colouration: Colouration of living males from Thumbi West Island: body and head blue; dorsal fin blue with orange trailing edge and yellow ocelli, but less black in the rayed portion than Monkey Bay form; anal fin blue at base, otherwise orange-pink with 3-8 yellow egg-dummies; pelvic fins mainly orange with narrow black submarginal bands and whitish-blue leading edges (Ref. 116021). Colouration of living males from Mumbo Island: body and head dark blue; dorsal fin pale blue with orange-red rayed region; caudal fin rays blue with orange inter-ray membranes and yellow trailing edge; anal fin orange with yellow egg-dummies; pelvic fins orange-red with light blue leading edges (Ref. 116021). In preservative, males uniform brown; eleven vertical bars on caudal peduncle and flank visible on some specimens (Ref. 116021). Colouration of living females from Mumbo Island: dark blue-grey and orange-blotch, but the orange-blotch form is rare (Ref. 116021). In preservative, females uniform brown; eleven vertical bars on caudal peduncle and flank visible on some specimens (Ref. 116021).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Labeotropheus artatorostris

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb 7 - 10
on upper limb 1 - 4
total 9 - 13
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes no striking attributes
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total 15 - 18
Soft-rays total 8 - 9
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes more or less truncate

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 3 - 3
Soft-rays total 6 - 8

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   12 - 15
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    thoracic  behind origin of D1
Spines     0
Soft-rays   6 - 6
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