Diagnosis |
This species is distinguished by the following characters: body firm and stout (slender in juveniles); snout long, preorbital length 4.7-7.6% TL and has a broad, bell-shaped in dorsoventral view with distinct lateral indention; pre-outer nostril length 1.1-1.9 times internarial space; preorbital snout length 0.7-1.0 times interorbital space; preoral snout length 1.0-1.9 times in mouth width; eye length 9.0-13.0 times in predorsal distance, 3.6-5.4 times in head length and 1.4-4.1 times eye height; head length 1.8-2.7 times width at level of maximum outer extent of anterior nostrils; head width at level of maximum outer extent of anterior nostrils 1.1-1.5 times width at level of lateral indention of head, 1.1-1.8 times preorbital length, and 7.2-10.0% TL; its tongue and roof of mouth densely set with oral papillae of distinct size, which are partially very large and conglomerated from several single papillae; pelvic anterior margin 1.1-2.1 times in pectoral-fin anterior margin; first dorsal-fin base 1.0-1.8 times in interdorsal space; length of second dorsal-fin inner margin 0.5-1.9 times in second dorsal-fin height; length of second dorsal-fin base 6.7-9.7% TL; anal-fin base 0.7-1.3 times interdorsal space; upper jaw with 70-84 and lower jaw with 60-76 rows of small tri- to pentacuspidate teeth with outer surface of crown furrowed by strong longitudinal ridges and structured by reticulations in basal areas; monospondylous trunk vertebrae centra 38-43, diplospondylous precaudal centra 33-43, total centra 124-132; dermal denticle morphology highly diverse in different body areas and post-embryonic specimens with very characteristic double row each of about 20 distinctly enlarged, blunt, spatulate, cross-based dermal denticles along dorsal trunk; claspers rather long and very thick, inner margin length 10.6-11.3% TL, base width 2.3-3.1% TL; no clasper hooks, cover rhipidion and pseudosiphon very large, envelope elongated. Colouration: body and fins plain beige to light grayish-brown, slightly brighter on ventral side (Ref. 113731) |