Marbled mountain catfish (Amphilius jacksonii)

Biology

Vertebrae: 31 - 33. Distinguished from other east and southern African species of Amphilius, including the wide ranging A. uranoscopus, in having fewer total vertebrae, a mode of 6+7 principal caudal rays, and a crenulated epidermal fold at the base of the caudal fin; the latter character is shared with A. platychir and at least some other west African species. Differs further by the following combination of characters (but not all unique); dorsal and pectoral spines absent; dorsal fin with 7 soft rays; short adipose fin not adnate with caudal fin; pectoral fin with 8-10 soft rays; anal-fin rays 7-10; forked caudal fin with rounded lobes; 31-33 free vertebrae; and variable, heavily mottled pigmentation. Distinguished from other congeners in the Congo [=Zaire] River, except A. angustifrons and A. notatus, by having fewer total free vertebrae (31-33 vs. 33-40); differs from these two species by fewer pectoral rays (8-11, mode of 10, vs. 8-9, mode of 9), anal-fin rays (mode of 10 vs. 9

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