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Dorsal soft rays (total): 99-104; Anal soft rays: 77-82; Vertebrae: 107-112. Diagnosis: vertebrae 31–33 + 76–79 = 107–112;
pectoral fin rays 12–14; pelvic fin rudimentary,
rays 2; single mediolateral branch of the lateral
line system; scales present on nape and cheeks
(Ref. 112624).
Description: head ovoid, deeper than wide in
larger specimens than smallest, snout gently
sloping in all; scales cycloid, relatively
sparsely distributed in these juveniles, absent on
fins and pectoral base and axil; scales present in
nape to about 1 eye diameter posterior to eye in
smallest specimen, to interorbital area in others;
eye small, rounded, entering dorsal profile of
head in larger fish; gill slit moderate, reaching
ventrally to lower edge of pectoral base or just
below it; opercular lobe at dorsal margin of gill
slit slightly rounded posteriorly, extending
forward about 1 eye diameter; pectoral-fin origin
slightly below body midline, insertion on abdomen;
posterior margin of fin wedge-shaped, with rays 4–
6 from dorsalmost the longest; ventralmost rays
not noticeably thickened, no ray tips exserted;
mouth very slightly subterminal and oblique, upper
jaw extending posteriorly to middle of eye;
epidermal prickles absent on head; nostril tube
not reaching forward to upper lip; oral valve
reaching just posterior to anterior edge of vomer;
jaw teeth small, conical; premaxilla with single
row of teeth in smallest, 2-3 anterior rows
blending into single posterior row in larger
specimens; dentary with 3 rows of teeth anteriorly
blending into single posterior row in all;
vomerine teeth few in juveniles; palatine teeth in
single row, also relatively few; cephalic
lateralis system with no variation in pore counts;
2 postorbital pores; suborbital pores 6 + 0 on
both sides of all; 8 preoperculomandibular pores;
2 anterior supraorbital (nasal) pores, 1 set
anteromesial to nostril tube, the other
dorsoposteriorly; interorbital and occipital pores
absent; body lateral line system with single,
mediolateral branch originating just posterior to
postorbital pore 4, running to tail tip; no trace
of ventral or dorsolateral neuromasts; dorsal-fin
origin associated with vertebrae 7–8, with no free
pterygiophores; anal fin origin associated with
vertebrae 30–31 (ultimate precaudal), with 3–5
pterygiophores inserted anterior to haemal spine
of 1st caudal vertebra; last dorsal ray associated
with 4th preural vertebra, last anal ray
associated with 2nd preural vertebra; caudal fin
with 2 epural, 4 upper hypural and 4 lower hypural
rays; gill rakers short, those on upper limb
(epibranchial) acute, lower rakers
(ceratobranchial and hypobranchial) blunt, roughly
triangular; pseudobranchial filaments short and
slender; branchiostegal rays 4 + 2 (Ref. 112624).
Coloration: Fresh colouration: uniformly pinkish
white, edges of unpaired fins translucent; abdomen
bluish black, eye blue (Ref. 112624). In
preservative: dull whitish, orobranchial chamber
pale (Ref. 112624).
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