| Main Ref. | Kottelat, M., 1998 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | sub-terminal/inferior |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Elongated median lobe on the lower lip reaching beyond an imaginary line between the corners of the mouth (in specimens > about 7 cm SL); the upper lip rolled upwards and backwards but without median lobe; a dark brown longitudinal stripe along middle side in adults; fins red in adults and paler in juveniles, usually 3+1/2 scale rows between the lateral line and the dorsal- fin origin (Ref. 27732). Having fewer lateral line scales (25) and predorsal scales (9); eye diameter small (14.6-19.7% of HL); eyes not visible in ventral view; supero-posterior margin of dorsal deeply concave; isthmus with visible, small scales; gill rakers 19-22 (Ref. 13848). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 23 - 27 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 3 - 4 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 2 - 2 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 12 - 12 |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | 19 - 22 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 4 - 4 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 8 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 5 - 5 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 8 - 8 |