| Ref. principal | Heemstra, P.C., 1986 |
| Aparência refere-se a | macho; fêmea |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| órgãos especializados | no special organs |
| aparência diferente | males alike females |
| cores diferentes | males alike females |
| Notas | Females are larger than males (Ref. 86435). |
| Características determinantes | striking shape of body |
| Forma lateral do corpo | short and / or deep |
| Secção transversal | oval |
| Perfil dorsal da cabeça | more or less straight |
| Tipo de olhos | more or less normal |
| Tipo de boca/focinho | more or less normal |
| Posição da boca | terminal |
| Type of scales | scales embedded or partly/completely absent |
| Diagnose |
The scaleless body is covered with extremely thick, elastic skin. The caudal fin is replaced by a rudder-like structure called 'clavus'. Dorsal and anal fins very high with short base; in swimming, these fins are flapped synchronously from side to side and can propel the fish at surprisingly good speed. Pectorals small and rounded, directed upward (Ref. 6885). Mouth very small; teeth fused to form a parrot-like beak. Gills 4, a slit behind the last; gill openings reduced to a small hole at the base of the pectoral fins. Gas bladder absent in adults. Description: Characterized further by deep and oval body, nearly circular, depth 1-1.5 in TL; rough texture of skin; clavus supported by about 12 fin rays, of which 8-9 bear ossicles (Ref. 90102). |
| Facilidade de identificação | easy to distinguish from other species. |
| Linhas laterais | interrompido: No |
| Escamas na linha lateral | 0 - 0 |
| Escamas da linha lateral com poros | 0 - 0 |
| Escamas em séries laterais | 0 - 0 |
| Fileiras de escamas acima da linha lateral | 0 - 0 |
| Fileiras de escamas abaixo da linha lateral | 0 - 0 |
| Escamas em torno do pedúnculo caudal | 0 - 0 |
| Barbilhões | 0 |
| Fissuras branquiais (tubarões/raias apenas) | |
| Raios branquiais | |
| no membro inferior | |
| no membro superior | |
| total | |
| Vértebras | |
| Pré-anal | |
| total |
| Atributos | other |
| Número de barbatanas | 1 |
| No. de pínulas | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Total de espinhos | 0 - 0 |
| Total de raios moles | 15 - 18 |
| Barbatana adiposa | absent |
| Atributos | other (see remark) |
| Número de barbatanas | 1 |
| Total de espinhos | 0 - 0 |
| Total de raios moles | 14 - 17 |
| Peitoral | Atributos other (see Diagnosis) |
| espinhos 0 | |
| Raios moles 12 - 13 | |
| Pélvica | Atributos suppressed/absent |
| posição absent | |
| espinhos 0 | |
| Raios moles 0 - 0 |