| Main Ref. | Li, J., X.-H. Li, J.-H. Lan and L.-N. Du, 2017 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks | Males possess 2-3 thickened and widened outer branched pectoral-fin rays, dorsally covered by densely set tubercles; side of the head with a tiny, slender pad of tubercles, located anteroinferiorly to the orbit. |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | other (see remarks) |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | sub-terminal/inferior |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Triplophysa tianlinensis is distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: 8-9 branched dorsal-fin rays; 6 branched anal-fin rays; caudal fin forked and with 15-16 branched rays; pectoral fin not elongated; eye degenerated, with a black pigmented, rudimentary orbital spot; absence of scales and pigmentation on body; lateral line complete; cephalic lateralis system with 5 supraorbital, 3+10 infraorbital and 15 preoperculo-mandibular pores; and 0+10 gill rakers on the first gill arch (Ref. 117929). Description: Dorsal-fin rays iv, 8-9; anal-fin rays iii, 6 (Ref. 117929). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | 65 - 77 |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 6 |
| 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 | |
| Soft-rays total | 12 - 13 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | forked |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 10 - 10 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 6 - 6 |