| Main Ref. | Gramitto, M.E. and B. Coen, 1997 |
| Appearance refers to | Male; Female |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | gonopodium (m) |
| Different appearance | always different morphology between mature adults |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks | The head is growing slower in females than in males (Ref. 13359). Male intromittent organ lacks ossified parts (Ref. 34024). |
| Striking features | |
| 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 | |
| Diagnosis |
Mouth is large, with strong jaws; six caudal rays (Ref. 13359). Swim-bladder present; pelvic fins absent; several sharp spines present at lower angle of opercle; precaudal vertebrae 10 to 12; caudal fin broadly joined to dorsal and anal fins; male intromittent organ lacking ossified parts; females have genital pores (Ref. 34024). |
| Ease of Identification | easy to distinguish from other species. |
| 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 | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 81 - 96 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | pointed; confluent |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 64 - 76 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 21 - 24 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes other (see remarks) |
| Position absent | |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 0 - 0 |