| Main Ref. | Teugels, G.G., 1990 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | no special organs |
| Different appearance | always different morphology between mature adults |
| Different colors | males alike females |
| Remarks | Females are greater than males (Ref. 2921). Males have larger fins (Ref. 2921, Ref. 41580); the anal fin is clearly concave in males, but straight in females (Ref. 42901, Ref. 52030), and has 12-14 rays in females and only 9 rays in males (Ref. 13851). Also Ref. 53207. |
| Striking features | striking fins |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| 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 |
Compressed body, flattened on the dorsal side and head, careened on the ventral side behind the pelvic fins (Ref. 2921, Ref. 13851). Large mouth, with numerous teeth and a prominent lower jaw (Ref. 2921), upwardly directed (Ref. 3054, Ref. 42873). Short dorsal fin placed very posterior on the back (Ref. 2921), inserted behind the longer anal fin (Ref. 3054, Ref. 13851). Large development of the pectoral fins (Ref. 2921, Ref. 3054), enlarged and wing-like (Ref. 42873). Very advanced position of the pelvic fins, with 4 elongated, filamentous rays (Ref. 2921, Ref. 3054). The caudal fin is long, pointed and rather ragged, with the two centre rays the longest (Ref. 13851). Large cycloid scales (Ref. 2921), subcircular, with rounded but evident laterobasal angles (Ref. 53264): 26-30 lateral line scales, 21-26 predorsal scales (Ref. 52030, Ref. 52046). Extremely brilliant colored (Ref. 2921): dorsal side of the body olive-colored, ventral side silvery yellow amplified with carmine; sometimes with darker transversal bands on the back (Ref. 2921, Ref. 3032). The fins are vivid pink-colored with small brown-violet spots, forming transversal bands on the pectoral fins, and tinted with violet on the inside and extremities (Ref. 2921). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 26 - 30 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 3 - 5 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 4 - 5 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | 9 - 11 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | other |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 6 - 6 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | pointed |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 15 |
| Pectoral | Attributes other (see Diagnosis) |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 8 - 8 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes other (see Diagnosis) |
| Position thoracic before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 6 - 6 |