Morphology Data of Serranochromis jallae
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Stauffer, J.R. Jr., R. Bills, P.H. Skelton and O.L.F. Weyl, 2020
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
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

Diagnosis: The presence of four or five scale rows between the posterior margin of the orbit and the ascending arm of the preoperculum, the presence of widely set unicuspid teeth on the jaws, widely separated gill rakers, and anal fins with egg ocelli places this species in Serranochromis (Ref. 128638). Breeding males of S. jallae possess ocelli that are restricted to the posterior 4-5 membranes of the anal fin, which delimits them from all other Serranochromis species, which have ocelli throughout the anal fin in breeding males, with the exception of S. robustus (Ref. 128638). Serranochromis robustus generally has a longer lower jaw than S. jallae, 50.7-59.6% of head length vs. 49.2-52.7%; it is not as deep-bodied as S. jallae as evidenced by the distance between the posterior insertion of the dorsal fin and the posterior insertion of the anal fin, 13.4-15.1% of standard length in S. robustus vs. 14.9-18.4% in S. jallae; additionally, S. robustus has a narrower least caudal peduncle depth than S. jallae, 10.9-12.8% of standard length vs. 11.3-14.2%, the least caudal peduncle depth of all S. robustus was less than 12.8% of standard length while for S. jallae, except for the smallest specimen, the least caudal peduncle depth was greater than 13.2%; Serranochromis robustus has a smaller horizontal eye diameter than S. jallae, 17.7-27.4% of head length vs. 18.6-25.5%; in general, S. robustus has more teeth in the outer row of the left lower jaw than S. jallae, 14-23 vs. 13-14 (Ref. 128638). Adults in breeding colour of Serranochromis robustus are blue/green laterally with a narrow yellow marginal band on the dorsal fin and usually a small yellowish tip to the upper caudal-fin lobe; adults in breeding colour of S. jallae are yellow/green laterally with a bright orange marginal band on the dorsal and caudal fins in fish from the Okavango River system, but creamy yellow bands in fish from the upper Zambezi River system; the throat and belly of S. jallae becomes more intensely yellow-orange in breeding dress hence the local name 'yellow-belly'; rarely, specimens from the Okavango River in Namibia also have yellow rather than orange marginal bands (Ref. 128638).

Description: Head elongate, 35.8-39.7% of standard length; cheek depth 23.1-33.2% of head length; snout elongate, 33.9-38.6% of head length, and posterior end of lower jaw anterior to anterior margin of orbit; two to three pored scales posterior to hypural plate, and 7-9 rows of scales on cheek; lateral line scales 37-39 (Ref. 128638). Outer arch of epibranchial with 4 gill rakers; outer arch of ceratobranchial with 11-12 gill rakers (Ref. 128638). Teeth in 2 series on upper and lower jaws (Ref. 128638). Pectoral fin immediately posterior to posterior margin of opercle and directly under origin of dorsal fin; pelvic fin posterior to origin of dorsal fin; caudal fin rounded; dorsal fin with 15-17 spines and 14-16 rays, anal fin with 3 spines and 10-12 rays, pelvic fin with 5 rays, pectoral fin with 15-16 rays (Ref. 128638).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Serranochromis jallae

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line 37 - 39
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 11 - 12
on upper limb 4 - 4
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes no striking attributes
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total 15 - 17
Soft-rays total 14 - 16
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes more or less truncate; more or less normal

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 3 - 3
Soft-rays total 10 - 12

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     
Soft-rays   15 - 16
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    thoracic  behind origin of D1
Spines     
Soft-rays   5 - 5
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