| Main Ref. | Eschmeyer, W.N. and B.B. Collette, 1966 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Swim bladder lacking or rudimentary; bones poorly ossified; spine weak and usually broken during capture; scales thin and deciduous, and white body musculature soft and flabby (Ref. 11015). Lateral line more or less a continuous trough covered by thin membranous scales, usually lost during capture (Ref. 10482). Body is black in small specimens; maroon and black in adults (Ref. 11015). Buccal cavity black with patches of bright orange and red in life; pharyngeal teeth red or orange (Ref. 11015). |
| 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 | 9 - 11 |
| on upper limb | 6 - 7 |
| total | 15 - 18 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 11 - 12 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 11 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 5 - 7 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 18 - 20 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |