| Main Ref. | Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba, 1990 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| Cross section | circular |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly convex |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | sub-terminal/inferior |
| Type of scales | ctenoid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Head large; eyes also large; snout moderately pointed. Head ridges well developed; underside of head naked except for a small patch below the preopercular angle. Swim bladder large and strongly bilobed anteriorly, with 4 retia mirabilia. Grayish brown, with 6 or 7 broad saddle marks extending below the lateral line; the fins blackish except for the whitish base of the first dorsal and basally on anal in some individuals; the mouth and gill cavities black. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 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 | 1 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 6 - 8 |
| on upper limb | 1 - 3 |
| total | 7 - 11 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | extending over most of the back length |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic before origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |