| Main Ref. | Whitehead, P.J.P., 1985 |
| Appearance refers to | Male; Female |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | no special organs |
| Different appearance | males alike females |
| Different colors | males alike females |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | oval |
| Dorsal head profile | more or less straight |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Diagnosis |
Body fairly slender. Pre-pelvic scutes not strongly keeled, beginning behind base of last pectoral fin ray. Maxilla blade over 4 times as long as its shaft, its lower toothed edge continued forward to meet hind tip of pre-maxilla; second supra-maxilla asymmetrical, lower half larger. Lower gill rakers long and slender. A distinct silver stripe along flank. Snout broad with tapering sides, not concave when viewed from above. It has a large air bladder which is responsible for its ability to move great vertical distances. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 40 - 40 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 0 - 0 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 0 - 0 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 0 - 0 |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | 20 - 38 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 41 - 44 |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 13 - 18 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 15 - 19 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 7 |