| Main Ref. | Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen, 1966 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | other |
| Different appearance | always different morphology between mature adults |
| Different colors | always different colors between mature adults |
| Remarks | Males with brood pouch; females with ovipositor (Ref. 205). Head plain in males, with black bars below eye and on lower part of opercle in females (Ref. 81680). |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | eel-like |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | tube-like |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Diagnosis: 14-17 (median 16) pectoral fin rays; head length 6.5-7.5 (mean 7.1) times in SL (Ref. 57226, 81680). Snout tubular, moderately elongate (Ref. 57226), ratio head length/snouth length 1.8-2.3 (Ref. 57226, 81680). Description: total number of rings 45-47 (Ref. 81680), 13-14 trunk rings (before anus) and 32-34 tail rings (behind anus)(Ref. 57226, 81680). 5.5-6.25 subdorsal rings; dorsal fin origin from anterior margin to middle of first tail ring, usually at anterior margin; snout length positively allometric; caudal fin with 9 rays (Ref. 81680). Male brood pouch extending on (15) 16-18 rings of the tail (Ref. 57226, 81680).
Coloration: In life: generally greyish/dusky with a brick-red abdomen; lower flanks yellowish grey with a golden black margined ocellus on each ring; caudal fin black with a pale edge (Ref. 57226, 81680). Head plain in males, with black bars below eye and on lower part of opercle in females; tail rings spotted black, sprinkled with gold (Ref. 81680). Preserved specimens: each trunk ring with a black bordered brown spot extending dorsal from inferior ridge; pouch plates of males with a series of alternating short, pale, brownish bars (Ref. 57226, 81680). Sometimes dorsum and upper flanks crossed by about 10 narrow, diffuse, pale bars (Ref. 81680). |
| Ease of Identification |
| 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 | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 26 - 28 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 2 - 3 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 14 - 17 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes suppressed/absent |
| Position absent | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |