Slender Platanna-klipfish

Fins: Dorsal fin spines 38 to 39, rays 10 to 14; Anal fin spines 2, rays 38 to 43; Pectoral fin rays 13 to 15; Ventral fin spines 1, rays 3. Gill rakers (0 to 2)+(5 to 9). Vertebrae: Females (20 to 21)+(44 to 45), Males 19+(43 to 46). Lateral line with 69 to 71 single pores in front. Body depth 8 to 11 in Standard length. Head length 4.25 to 5.5 in Standard length. Eye 3.75 to 4.75 diameters in head length. Caudal peduncle 23.5 to 31% head length, depth 20 to 28.5% head length. Shape: A small, slender fish with an elongate and compressed body, and a depressed head with a pointed snout. The tip of the lower jaw is angled downwards and extends beyond the upper jaw. There are no tentacles or papillae over the eyes. The front nostrils are tubular and the cirri are small simple flaps. The dorsal fin is low and of even height, without a crest. Colour: The ground colour is a semi-translucent cream. There is a broken bright silver-white mid-lateral stripe with eleven or twelve distinct, irregular, coppery olive to dark brown saddles with darker edges above it and an olive stripe from the eye to the back edge of the opercle Smaller white and dark patches may occur along the flanks. Lips and underparts cream. Pectoral base silver. Fins have a glassy appearance, except for shading of the saddles extending up the dorsal fin. …

South African West Coast, from the Orange River mouth southwards to the south coast round to Algoa Bay. Off the Cape Peninsula it is most commonly found at Ouderkaal, but also at Bantry Bay and other places where the right sand is common.

Burrelli: named after Cyril J. Burrell, "who has constantly provided valuable aid in my researches."

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