Morphology Data of Parailia occidentalis
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. De Vos, L., 2007
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral elongated
Cross section oval
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

Diagnosis: adipose fin present; inner side of pectoral spine feebly serrated, with small to very small serrations; 51-68 soft anal fin rays; vomerine teeth usually absent; a dark triangular blotch at base of caudal fin (Ref. 43912, 81643).

Description: 7-8 branched pectoral fin rays; 41-45 nonfused vertebrae; gill rakers long; 9-11 branchiostegal rays on one side of head; head rounded; snout reaching slightly beyond lower jaw; caudal peduncle slightly deeper than long or somewhat longer than deep (Ref. 43912). In many respects this species resembles Parailia pellucida and both species might even be considered as dubiously distinct or are at least very closely related; P. occidentalis can be distinguished from P. pellucida by the presence of a black triangular spot at the base of the anal fin in the former (which, however, also sometimes appears in specimens of P. pellucida), by the lower number of anal fin rays (51-68 in P. occidentalis against 60-78 in P. pellucida), lower number of non-fused vertebrae (41-45 in P. occidentalis versus 44-45 in P. pellucida) and by the fact that small vomerine teeth are present in P. pellucida while they are absent in P. occidentalis (at least in the specimens used for osteological preparations); moreover in examined specimens of P. occidentalis the inner side of the pectoral spine was always feebly to very feebly serrated, while these serrations are generally much better developed in P. pellucida (Ref. 43912).

Coloration: in life: pale, more or less transparent/translucent, with small triangular spot at base of caudal fin (Ref. 43912, 81643). Preserved specimens: head and back covered with small brown-black spots; fine mid-lateral line terminates in small spot at base of caudal fin; band of chromatophores sometimes present along anal fin base; pelvics colourless, pectoral fin often mottled, anal also sometimes mottled (Ref. 43912, 81643). Some specimens with faint grey stripe along median caudal fin rays (Ref. 43912).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Parailia occidentalis

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 18 - 25
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number
Finlets No. Dorsal   0
Ventral  0
Spines total 0
Soft-rays total 0
Adipose fin present

Caudal fin

Attributes forked

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 0
Soft-rays total 51 - 68

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  
Spines     1
Soft-rays   
Pelvics Attributes  
Position    
Spines     0
Soft-rays   6
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
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cfm script by eagbayani, 17.10.00, php script by rolavides, 13/03/08 ,  last modified by sortiz, 06.27.17