| Main Ref. | Paugy, D., 2003 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | no special organs |
| Different appearance | always different morphology between mature adults |
| Different colors | males alike females |
| Remarks | Very pronounced sexual dimorphism affecting anal-fin shape in adult males (Ref. 81279). |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | more or less straight |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Diagnosis: incomplete lateral line; 6-10 pored scales; 25-28 lateral line scales; 13-15 anal fin branched rays; 4/8 premaxillary teeth; 11-15 gill rakers on lower part of first branchial arch; sexual dimorphism in anal fins of adult males (Ref. 2880, 81279). Description: anal fin with 3 unbranched and 13-15 branched rays; only West African species with 4 outer premaxillary teeth, all other Micralestes species have 6 (Ref. 2880, 81279). Coloration: body silvery, lateral stripe more brilliant; rayed dorsal, adipose and caudal yellow tint, others no color; lateral band becomes black in formalin; small patch of small melanophores appears at caudal-fin base in formalin (Ref. 2880, 81279). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | 6 - 10 |
| Scales in lateral series | 25 - 28 |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 4.5 - 4.5 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 3.5 - 3.5 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 11 - 15 |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | |
| Adipose fin | present |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 16 - 18 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |