| Main Ref. | Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba, 1990 |
| 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 | clearly convex |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Body long, compressed, tapering to a fine point posteriorly; anus situated between pelvic fins widely separated from the urogenital opening situated anterior to anal fin origin. A striated light organ is present on the ventral half of the body and on the sides of the head. Pyloric caeca absent. First pelvic fin ray long, filamentous, reaching to anus when depressed. Color is silvery, the dorsal portions slightly brownish, purplish ventrally; oral cavity darker. |
| 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 | 13 - 15 |
| on upper limb | 5 - 5 |
| total | 18 - 20 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 1 - 1 |
| Soft-rays total | |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 123 - 125 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 14 - 17 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |