| Main Ref. | Kottelat, M., 1998 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | striking fins |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | elongated |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | more or less straight |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Depressed head and body; generally pale coloration with 6-7 faint vertical bars and black dots on cheeks. Sexually dimorphic: males with more depressed head and body, a larger mouth, and darker fins. Male with about 40 rounded blackish brown spots on cheeks, usually larger than half of pupil; body with 7 lateral blackish brown bars and several rows of black or brown spots; second dorsal with usually 1 simple and 8 branched rays; anal fin with usually 1 simple and 7 branched rays (Ref. 43281). |
| 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 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 7 - 8 |
| Soft-rays total | 7 - 9 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | 1 - 1 |
| Soft-rays total | 6 - 9 |
| Pectoral | Attributes very large , lobe-like |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 15 - 17 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes part of sucker-disc |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |