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Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-13; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 16-17; Vertebrae: 29-30. Diagnosis: Scriptaphyosemion wieseae is distinguished from its congeners by a unique combination of male and female coloration characters (Ref. 91031). Males have a blue body color, red dots on side forming irregular, interrupted red stripes, especially on caudal peduncle a more reticulated pattern, unpaired and pelvic fins centre blue with a narrow blue margin and a broad red submargin, on anal and dorsal fin a small number of basal red blotches, centre of caudal fin with some red blotches, pectoral transparent to orange with a blue margin; females with a dark brown midlateral stripe, interrupted on caudal peduncle, body on lower half of side and ventrally orange vs. a mainly red lateral body color in male S. cauveti (Ref. 91031).
Description: Body cylindrical, elongate, and laterally slightly compressed (Ref. 91031). Dorsal profile slightly convex, ventral profile anteriorly slightly convex, slightly concave to nearly straight on caudal peduncle, greatest body depth approximately anterior to origin of pelvic fin (Ref. 91031). Snout slightly pointed, mouth directed upwards, lower jaw longer than upper jaw, posterior end of rictus at the level of the dorsal third to centre of eye (Ref. 91031). Closed frontal neuromast system within one groove, preopercular neuromast system with 5 pores (Ref. 91031). Scales cycloid, body and head completely scaled, except for ventral surface of head; frontal squamation of G-type; scales on lateral line 27-30 + 2-3 scales on caudal fin base (Ref. 91031). Tips of dorsal, anal, and, in some males, also caudal fin slightly pointed, but no filamentous extensions, caudal fin truncate; fins in females are generally smaller and more rounded (Ref. 91031).
Coloration: Males: lateral head blue with a slightly irregular red pattern; lips dark grey, red line around mouth along upper and lower lip, small dark grey dot at chin, iris of eye grey, dorso-anterior with blueish or blue-greenish hue, a light, reflecting ring around pupil; dorsal from head to dorsal fin brownish, scales with some blue in centre and irregular red margins, forming an interrupted reticulated pattern; flanks, unpaired fins and pelvic fins blue, dorsal and caudal fin centre often with a yellow hue, giving a more greenish impression of fin color; red pigmentation on side in three to four irregular stripes, consisting of red blotches, especially on caudal peduncle looking more like an interrupted reticulation; unpaired and pelvic fins with a narrow blue margin, sometimes slightly lighter than color of fin centre and body; the blue margin is followed by a broad red submargin; on base of dorsal, anal, pelvic, and centre of caudal fin a small number of red blotches, pectoral fin transparent with a blue margin and a, more or less complete, red submargin (Ref. 91031). Females: body brownish, dorsally darker, on ventral half of side and belly orange; pigmentation on head similar to males, but mostly darker brown instead of red; midlateral dark brown stripe, interrupted and slightly irregular on caudal peduncle, scales in this dark stripe sometimes with small red scale margins; centre of unpaired and pelvic fins brown orange, with a narrow blueish margin, and a faint, narrow red submarginal, except on caudal fin; above submarginal on anal and pelvic fins a small area with blueish or greenish hue, centre of dorsal fin with small red dots, basally larger than marginally; pectoral fin transparent (Ref. 91031). |