Fourspine Leaffish

Diagnosis: mouth large and protrusible; premaxilla reaching upwards to level of occipital region; preopercle denticulate; lateral line absent; 5 scale rows on cheeks; caudal fin rounded (Ref. 57397).Coloration: highly variable, depending, among other factors, on emotional state of fish; normally, ground colour dark brown; iris red; opercula with a large black blotch bordered posteriorly by a bright red band; under stress, colour turns rapidly into a marbled pattern with alternating light and dark brown cross bars; in young individuals, sides show a series of light cross bars (Ref. 57397).

Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 10; Analspines: 4; Analsoft rays: 6 - 7

Occurs in running freshwater (Ref. 6801). Maximum TL recorded was 4.8cm (Ref. 6801).

fisheries:

The fourspine leaffish (Afronandus sheljuzhkoi), is a species of in the Nandidae native to rivers and streams in Ivory Coast and Ghana. Although placed in the family Nandidae by FishBase, most recent authorities place Afronandus in Polycentridae. The specific name honours the collector of the type, Leo Sheljuzhko (1890–1969), a Ukrainian-German entomologist who sent the type to Meinken.

This species grows to a total length of 4.8 cm (1.9 in). This species is the only known member of its genus.