| Main Ref. | Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| 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 | superior |
| Type of scales | scales embedded or partly/completely absent |
| Diagnosis |
Pelvic and caudal fins absent; anal fin reduced to spinules (about 75). Lateral line running nearer the ventral than the dorsal contour of the body. Color is steely blue with metallic reflections; the tapering part white. The margin of the anus pale; usually the margin of the caudal-fin membrane white; tip of both jaws black; the inside of the opercle and the anterior part of the shoulder girdle, pale black. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 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 | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | extending over most of the back length |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 3 - 4 |
| Soft-rays total | 110 - 120 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | other (see diagnosis) |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 10 - 10 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes other (see diagnosis) |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |