| Main Ref. | Dawson, C.E., 1986 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | other |
| Different appearance | always different morphology between mature adults |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks | Males with brood pouch; females with ovipositor (Ref. 205). |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| Body shape lateral | eel-like |
| Cross section | angular |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly concave |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | tube-like |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Short-snouted; dark, blackish brown with small black spots and small white ocelli in parallel series along trunk, and some white speckles over the back (Ref. 48635). Males are characterized by vertical row of silver spots (Ref 1602). Description: Characterized by having 10 caudal rays; rings 18 - 21 + 27 - 34; continuous superior trunk and tail ridges; inferior trunk ridge ends on anal ring; confluent lateral trunk and inferior tail ridge; prominent longitudinal keels on scutella; length of snout 2.0-2.5 in head length; depth of snout 2.2-3.5 in snout length; head length 4.9-7.1 in SL (Ref. 90102). |
| 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 | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 27 - 34 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 4 - 4 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 18 - 23 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position | |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 0 - 0 |