| Main Ref. | Mutizwa, T.I., W.T. Kadye, P.H.N. Bragança, T. Bere and A. Chakona, 2024 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | |
| Cross section | angular |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
This species is distinguished from its congeners in southern Africa (i.e. anoterus, bifurcus, emarginatus, fasciatus, paratus, pretoriae, swierstrai) by the dorsal fin that has a basal portion covered by a fleshy skin, a character which is absent in the other species; with ten closely packed mandibular teeth; a deeply forked caudal fin, with an upper lobe that is shorter than the lower lobe; oral disc with a well-developed mid-ventral cleft; a smooth skin with a few tubercles occasionally found on the head; a dorsal spine with crenate anterior and posterior margins (Ref. 130906). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 5 - 7 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 12 - 13 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 6 - 8 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 6 - 7 |