| Main Ref. | Arnold, R.J., 2012 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | short and / or deep |
| Cross section | angular |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
This species is distinguished by having the entire body, including the lips and outer margins of the sclera, covered with small dark reddish to black spots encircled with a white ring; cheeks with numerous small shallow depressions, giving a pitted appearance to the head; an extremely small illicium and esca, barely discernible even with aid of a dissecting microscope; dark pink pigmentation overlaying a pale pink background, including a dark pink basidorsal spot; a small white encrusted patch of skin (resembling coralline algae) always present posterior to pectoral-fin origin, sometimes present on cheeks; head lightly covered with cutaneous cirri, especially around edges of opercle; upper and lower lips with short cutaneous cirri (Ref. 89955). |
| 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 | 20 - 20 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 13 - 14 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 7 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 8 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 |