| Main Ref. | Roberts, T.R., 1992 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | males alike females |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | short and / or deep |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly concave |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | superior |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
With 8-10 complete dark vertical bars in juvenile color phase; adults without vertical bars or sexual dichromatism, both sexes drab; transverse scale rows usually 6.1.12; dorsal fin spines usually 12-13 (rarely 11 or 14); soft-rayed portion of anal fin greatly enlarged, its distal margin parallel to distal margin of caudal fin; caudal fin rounded or obtusely rounded, not truncate or emarginate (Ref. 7425). Pelvic fins with first soft ray prolonged into a thread-like tentacle reaching posteriorly to or beyond hind margin of caudal fin. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 31 - 34 |
| Pored lateral line scales | 31 - 34 |
| 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 | 11 - 13 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 30 - 31 |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 12 - 14 |
| Soft-rays total | 10 - 13 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | other (see remarks) |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 9 - 13 |
| Soft-rays total | 18 - 21 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 15 - 16 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes others (see remarks) |
| Position abdominal | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |