| Main Ref. | Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall, 1993 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | oval |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly convex |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | superior |
| Type of scales | ctenoid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Distinguished by the following characteristics: dark brown or violet-black body color, darker fins; oval body, compressed, depth contained 2.4-2.7 times in the standard length; head length 3.0-3.4 times in SL; distinctly convex dorsal head profile; nostrils subequal in juveniles, diameter of posterior nostrils twice that of anterior nostrils in 56 cm SL adults; small mouth, oblique, pair of short canines at front of each premaxilla (Ref. 89707). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 67 - 76 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 131 - 145 |
| 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 | 16 - 18 |
| on upper limb | 8 - 9 |
| total | 24 - 27 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 11 - 11 |
| Soft-rays total | 18 - 21 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 12 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 18 - 20 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |