| Main Ref. | Whitehead, P.J.P., G.J. Nelson and T. Wongratana, 1988 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | no special organs |
| Different appearance | males alike females |
| Different colors | males alike females |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | light organs |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | more or less straight |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | sub-terminal/inferior |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Body tapering, belly rounded before pelvic fins, with 5 or 6 (rarely 4) + 7 to 9 = 12 to 15 keeled scutes from just behind pectoral fin base to anus. Maxilla short. Pectoral fin with 6 long filaments and 9 to 11 (rarely 8) branched fin rays. Flanks and belly with golden or pearly spots (light organs) in rows below scales, also along isthmus, edge of lower jaw, on cheek and gill cover. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 0 - 0 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 0 - 0 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 0 - 0 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 23 - 26 |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | pointed |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 80 |
| Pectoral | Attributes rays very elongated |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 15 - 17 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 7 - 7 |