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Joe Cutler (4)

Description: Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6-7; Anal spines: 3-4; Anal soft rays: 4 - 7; Vertebrae: 32 - 35. It has the presence of a free orbital margin, mandibular sensory canal pores on the lower lip/oral disc, a ventral process on the mesethmoid for articulation with premaxillae, a vertically-oriented, laminar extension of bone at the anterolateral edge of the lateral ethmoid that wraps around the extensor tentaculi muscle, 3 or more straight, transverse rows of mandibular teeth, a short, block-like autopalatine and the parapophyses of vertebrae 3, 4, and 5 of the Weberian apparatus are clearly separate from each other. Body compressed posteriorly and somewhat depressed anteriorly. Closer analysis of the external and internal morphology of Atopodontus adriaensi in a morphological study of the Mochokidae revealed that this new species was distinct from Chiloglanis, and was in fact the sister group to both Atopochilus and Euchilichthys (Vigliotta, 2008). Furthermore, an unpublished analysis of DNA sequence data also supports this phylogenetic position for Atopodontus (J. Sullivan Pers. comm.). Remarks: At present Atopodontus is monotypic, but we do note that the single specimen known from the Nyanga River in southern Gabon (MRAC P179133) differs in several features from all the other specimens from the Ogooué basin (Friel, J.P. and T.R. Vigliotta, 2008).

None

None

Mochokidae

Africa: From rapids in the Ivindo, Okano, Ngounié, and Nyanga Rivers of Gabon.

10.0cm. (4ins)

20-26°C (67-79°F)

6.5-7.2.

Friel, J.P. and T.R. Vigliotta, 2008. Atopodontus adriaensi, a new genus and species of African suckermouth catfish from the Ogooué and Nyanga River systems of Gabon (Siluriformes: Mochokidae). Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 157(1):13-23.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2017. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2017 ).
J. Sullivan. Pers. comm.