Morphology Data of Pachycara caribbaeum
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Anderson, M.E., R. Somerville and J.T. Copley, 2016
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features none
Body shape lateral elongated
Cross section
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
Diagnosis

Diagnosis: vertebrae 31–33 + 76–79 = 107–112;

pectoral fin rays 12–14; pelvic fin rudimentary,

rays 2; single mediolateral branch of the lateral

line system; scales present on nape and cheeks

(Ref. 112624).

Description: head ovoid, deeper than wide in

larger specimens than smallest, snout gently

sloping in all; scales cycloid, relatively

sparsely distributed in these juveniles, absent on

fins and pectoral base and axil; scales present in

nape to about 1 eye diameter posterior to eye in

smallest specimen, to interorbital area in others;

eye small, rounded, entering dorsal profile of

head in larger fish; gill slit moderate, reaching

ventrally to lower edge of pectoral base or just

below it; opercular lobe at dorsal margin of gill

slit slightly rounded posteriorly, extending

forward about 1 eye diameter; pectoral-fin origin

slightly below body midline, insertion on abdomen;

posterior margin of fin wedge-shaped, with rays 4–

6 from dorsalmost the longest; ventralmost rays

not noticeably thickened, no ray tips exserted;

mouth very slightly subterminal and oblique, upper

jaw extending posteriorly to middle of eye;

epidermal prickles absent on head; nostril tube

not reaching forward to upper lip; oral valve

reaching just posterior to anterior edge of vomer;

jaw teeth small, conical; premaxilla with single

row of teeth in smallest, 2-3 anterior rows

blending into single posterior row in larger

specimens; dentary with 3 rows of teeth anteriorly

blending into single posterior row in all;

vomerine teeth few in juveniles; palatine teeth in

single row, also relatively few; cephalic

lateralis system with no variation in pore counts;

2 postorbital pores; suborbital pores 6 + 0 on

both sides of all; 8 preoperculomandibular pores;

2 anterior supraorbital (nasal) pores, 1 set

anteromesial to nostril tube, the other

dorsoposteriorly; interorbital and occipital pores

absent; body lateral line system with single,

mediolateral branch originating just posterior to

postorbital pore 4, running to tail tip; no trace

of ventral or dorsolateral neuromasts; dorsal-fin

origin associated with vertebrae 7–8, with no free

pterygiophores; anal fin origin associated with

vertebrae 30–31 (ultimate precaudal), with 3–5

pterygiophores inserted anterior to haemal spine

of 1st caudal vertebra; last dorsal ray associated

with 4th preural vertebra, last anal ray

associated with 2nd preural vertebra; caudal fin

with 2 epural, 4 upper hypural and 4 lower hypural

rays; gill rakers short, those on upper limb

(epibranchial) acute, lower rakers

(ceratobranchial and hypobranchial) blunt, roughly

triangular; pseudobranchial filaments short and

slender; branchiostegal rays 4 + 2 (Ref. 112624).

Coloration: Fresh colouration: uniformly pinkish

white, edges of unpaired fins translucent; abdomen

bluish black, eye blue (Ref. 112624). In

preservative: dull whitish, orobranchial chamber

pale (Ref. 112624).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Pachycara caribbaeum

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 0
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total 13
Vertebrae
preanal
total 107 - 112

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes extending over most of the back length
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   0
Ventral  0
Spines total
Soft-rays total 99 - 104
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes pointed; confluent

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total
Soft-rays total 77 - 82

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     
Soft-rays   12 - 14
Pelvics Attributes  other (see Diagnosis)
Position    jugular  before origin of D1
Spines     
Soft-rays   2
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
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