| Main Ref. | Luo, W., J.P. Sullivan, H.-T. Zhao and Z.-G. Peng, 2015 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | elongated |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Metzia parva is distinguished from all other congeners by the following characters: smaller body size, 48.3-57.7 mm SL (vs. 58.3-151.4 mm SL); lateral line complete, but interrupted in some specimens along ventral margin above anal-fin; anal fin with 12-14 branched rays (vs. 10-11 or 15-20); pectoral fin with 10 branched rays (vs. 11-16); pelvic fin with 6 branched rays (vs. 7-9); longer caudal peduncle 17.8-21.7% SL (vs. 14.8-17.4% SL); shorter preanal length 60.9-66.0% SL (vs. 69.0-73.0% SL); and interorbital width distinctly larger 28.4-33.0% HL (vs. 20.2-24.7% HL) (Ref. 104754). Description: Mouth sub-superior; Gill rakers on outer surface of first gill arch 14-16.; Vertebrae 4 + 32 (Ref. 104754). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 40 - 44 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 9 - 10 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 4 - 4 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 14 - 15 |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 10 - 10 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | forked |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 15 - 17 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 11 - 11 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal before origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 7 - 7 |