| Main Ref. | Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| Cross section | compressed |
| 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 | superior |
| Diagnosis |
Body extremely elongate, compressed and tapering to a point. Mouth very large with a small dermal process at the tip of each jaw. Pelvic and caudal fins absent. Lateral line originating at the upper margin of the gill cover, running obliquely to behind the tip of the pectoral fins, then parallel to the ventral contour of the body. Fresh specimens are pearl white and slightly dusky dorsally; the margins of the dorsal and anal fins dusky in formalin. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 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 | extending over most of the back length |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 106 - 116 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | other (see diagnosis) |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 80 - 80 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 9 - 9 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes other (see diagnosis) |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |