| Main Ref. | Poss, S.G. and W.N. Eschmeyer, 1980 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Body densely covered with modified scales which form spinous points, best developed anteriorly; depth greater than 1/3 SL.. Lachrymal with 2 strong sharp spines, the first notably curved. Second infraorbital bone without spines, a prominent elongate slit lateral line pore. Uppermost preopercular lateral-line pores with finger-like cirri. Mouth very strongly upturned. Interorbit with prominent ridges, divergent anteriorly, convergent over middle of interorbit, strongly divergent posteriorly (Ref. 35984, 39602). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 10 - 11 |
| 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 | 7 - 7 |
| on upper limb | 3 - 3 |
| total | 10 - 10 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 27 - 27 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 13 - 13 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 8 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 1 - 1 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 13 - 14 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 3 - 3 |