| Main Ref. | Gibbs, R.H. Jr., 1978 |
| 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 | striking fins |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | elongated |
| Cross section | other (see diagnosi |
| 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 |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Body elongate, thick, somewhat flattened ventrally; snout shorter than eye, blunt; palatine teeth usually absent; dorsal and anal fins set far back on body, their bases short; dorsal fin low, rays at anterior end the longest; anal fin origin slightly before, or 1 or 2 rays behind dorsal fin origin; pectoral fins strikingly long, 60 to 70 % of SL, only first ray unbranched; pelvic fins large, reaching well beyond anal fin origin; more than 25 scale rows of predorsal scales; dorsally, the color is usually iridescent blue or green in life; dorsal fin colorless or only slightly pigmented; pectoral fins dark, with a pale basal triangle and a narrow white margin (on trailing edge when extended) (Ref. 3720). |
| 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 | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | absent |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | other |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 11 - 11 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 11 - 12 |
| Pectoral | Attributes other (see diagnosis) |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 17 - 17 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes other (see diagnosis) |
| Position abdominal before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |