Main Ref. | Dawson, C.E., 1986 |
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 | |
Dorsal head profile | |
Type of eyes | |
Type of mouth/snout | tube-like |
Position of mouth | terminal |
Type of scales | |
Diagnosis |
Brownish to near black in color; tip of snout pale, often with irregular pale bars on dorsum of body (Ref. 4281). Snout short with rounded dorsal ridge, and large eyes (Ref. 48635). Description: Characterized by mottled brown to pale grey or whitish color, sometimes with 10-11 irregular diffuse pale or dark bars on side and dorsum of body, and ventral surface of trunk rings with dark bars;10 caudal rays; rings 14 + 31 - 36; discontinuous superior trunk and tail ridges; inferior trunk ridge ends at anal ring; lateral trunk ridge confluent with inferior tail ridge; continuous median dorsal snout ridge, elevated and arched, margin usually denticulate; head and body with unbranched filaments; each side of dorsum with palmate skin flaps; length of snout 3.0-4.4 in head length; depth of snout 1.8-3.1 in snout length; head length 9.6-14.7 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 | |
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 | 16 - 20 |
Adipose fin | absent |
Attributes |
Fins number | 1 |
Spines total | 0 - 0 |
Soft-rays total | 2 - 3 |
Pectoral | Attributes |
Spines 0 | |
Soft-rays 10 - 13 | |
Pelvics | Attributes suppressed/absent |
Position absent | |
Spines | |
Soft-rays |