| Main Ref. | Winterbottom, R., 1985 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | eel-like |
| Cross section | circular |
| 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 | terminal |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Opercle with a dark ocellated spot. Gill membranes fused to the isthmus. Posterior otic sensory canal pore absent. Preopercular canal usually with 7 pores. Large spots arranged in three rows where dorsalmost and ventralmost rows extending distally on bases of dorsal and anal fin bases. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 22 - 32 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 8 - 10 |
| on upper limb | 3 - 4 |
| total | 11 - 14 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | 14 - 15 |
| total | 66 - 69 |
| Attributes | continuous with caudal fin |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 62 - 64 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 52 - 54 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 9 - 11 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes suppressed/absent |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |