| Main Ref. | Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 1997 |
| 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 | |
| Diagnosis |
Anterior nostril a short tube simple cirrus on posterior rim; posterior end of maxilla of adult males produced as a thin flexible lamina that usually extends beyond posterior margin of opercle; spinous dorsal fin with black spot encircled by broad whit ring; adult males with inner lining of maxilla and adjacent membranes with prominent black stripe (stripe usually absent or light brown and poorly developed in females); buccal pigmentation consisting of a large dark area widely surrounding esophageal opening, including medial area between upper pharyngeal tooth patches; caudal vertebrae 19 or 20, usually 20 (Ref. 26893). |
| 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 | 19 - 22 |
| on upper limb | 9 - 12 |
| total | 28 - 34 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 29 - 30 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 10 - 11 |
| Soft-rays total | 16 - 17 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 2 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 16 - 17 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 19 - 21 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |