Main Ref. | Palsson, W.A. and T.W. Pietsch, 1989 |
Appearance refers to | |
Bones in OsteoBase |
Specialized organs | |
Different appearance | |
Different colors | |
Remarks |
Striking features | flaps |
Body shape lateral | other |
Cross section | flattened |
Dorsal head profile | |
Type of eyes | more or less normal |
Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
Position of mouth | sub-terminal/inferior |
Type of scales | bony plates or armour |
Diagnosis |
Body color olivaceous to yellow olive dorsally and laterally; whitish ventrally; 3 indistinct, double bands of light red on carapace and tail. Species with 3 pairs of dorsolateral body plates; 4 pairs of ventrolateral body plates; a pair of deep pits on dorsal surface of head; 8 (rarely 9) mobile tail rings; concave suborbital shelf, eyes visible in ventral view. Dorsal and ventral ridges of rostrum almost equally expanded with laterally directed denticles. Medial spine on dorsal surface of last tail ring posteriorly directed. |
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 | 0 |
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
Gill rakers | |
on lower limb | |
on upper limb | |
total | |
Vertebrae | |
preanal | |
total | 19 - 19 |
Attributes | no striking attributes |
Fins number | 1 |
Finlets No. | Dorsal |
Ventral | |
Spines total | 0 - 0 |
Soft-rays total | 5 - 5 |
Adipose fin | absent |
Attributes | more or less truncate |
Fins number | 1 |
Spines total | 0 - 0 |
Soft-rays total | 5 - 5 |
Pectoral | Attributes transformed to 'aerofoils' |
Spines 0 | |
Soft-rays 11 - 12 | |
Pelvics | Attributes other (see diagnosis) |
Position thoracic before origin of D1 | |
Spines 1 | |
Soft-rays 2 - 2 |