| Main Ref. | Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene, 1990 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | other |
| Different appearance | always different morphology between mature adults |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks | Males with brood pouch; females with ovipositor (Ref. 205). |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| Body shape lateral | eel-like |
| Cross section | angular |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly concave |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | tube-like |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Superior trunk and tail ridges discontinuous; inferior trunk ridge ending at anal ring; lateral trunk ridge continuous with inferior tail ridge; body rings 14 or 15 + 25-25. Colors vary with habitat, colorful on algae-rubble and dull on sand (Ref. 48635). Description: Characterized by having variable color, usually shades of red, green or brown with pale blotches; 10 caudal rays; discontinuous superior trunk and tail ridges; inferior trunk ridge ends at anal ring; irregular minute spines on median dorsal snout ridge; head and body with large dermal flaps (exaggerated in juvenile); length of snout 1.5-1.8 in head length; depth of snout 9.2-16.0 in snout length; head length 4.7-5.1 in SL (Ref. 90102). |
| 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 | |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 18 - 19 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 4 - 4 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 16 - 19 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes suppressed/absent |
| Position absent | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |