Malapterurus leonensis Roberts, 2000

Family:  Malapteruridae (Electric catfishes)
Max. size:  15.5 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  Africa: known from coastal river basins in Sierra Leone (Ref. 34006).
Diagnosis:  Vertebrae: 38-43. Diagnosis: rather small, no specimen larger than 25 TL known (Ref. 78218). 38-43 (Ref. 78218) or 39-43 (Ref. 34006) vertebrae. Narrower head, mouth and oral tooth bands than M. electricus; body with moderately large scattered black spots; narrow pale bars on anterior part of caudal peduncle and caudal fin base; caudal and anal fins darkened centrally, with sharply defined pale margins; may attain 300 mm (Ref. 34006). Description: 8-9 anal fin rays (Ref. 78218). Coloration: body grey, darker on upper part and light on belly; scattered dark dots the size of the eye or smaller; juveniles have black stripe across caudal peduncle; proximal half of caudal fin white, followed by half-moon-shaped spot and white edge to the fin; white band runs from posterior half of adipose fin to anal fin; in front of this a dark saddle-like spot extends across body and anterior half of adipose fin, becoming broader from flanks upwards (Ref. 78218).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 21 June 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.