Morphology Data of Mordacia praecox
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Renaud, C.B., 2011
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral eel-like
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

Adults: 10.2-172 mm TL; body proportions, as percentage of TL: 9.4-12.6 prebranchial length, 8.2-9.9 branchial length, 59.6-64.2 trunk length, 16.5-20.4 tail length, 1.3-1.5 eye length and 5.4-8.4 disc length; no gular pouch develops; urogenital papilla not prominent in mature adults; trunk myomeres, 85-93. Adult dentition: 2 triangular supraoral laminae each with 3 unicuspid teeth, 1 per apex (exceptionally, 4 unicuspid teeth per supraoral lamina); Infraoral lamina, 9-10 unicuspid teeth of various size (these teeth become greatly enlarged with sexual maturation); 5-6 endolaterals on each side; endolateral formula, typically 2-2-3-3-4-3 or 2-2-3-3-4-4 in immature individuals and 1-1-1-1-1 or 1-1-1-1-1-1 in mature individuals; 1 row of anterials; first row of anterials, 2 unicuspid teeth flanked on either side by one bicuspid tooth in immature individuals and 4 unicuspid teeth in mature individuals; 1-2 rows of exolaterals on each side; 1 row of posterials; first row of posterials, 16 posterial plates, the three lateralmost tricuspid and the internal ones bicuspid in immature individuals and 13 unicuspid teeth in mature individuals; transverse lingual lamina w-shaped with numerous unicuspid teeth of various size, the middle apex one being intermediate in size and the two bottom apex ones being largest, while the rest are small; longitudinal lingual laminae hook-shaped each with an undetermined number of unicuspid teeth. Body coloration (live) of mature adults with dark blue dorsal surface, occasionally with a green tinge, ventral surface of males mottled gray and ventral surface of females yellowish; extent of caudal fin pigmentation, 25% to <75%; caudal fin shape, spade-like; oral papillae, 33-48 (Ref. 89241).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Mordacia praecox

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

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total
Soft-rays total
Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Attributes

Anal fin(s)

Fins number
Spines total
Soft-rays total

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  
Spines     
Soft-rays   
Pelvics Attributes  
Position    
Spines     
Soft-rays   
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