| Main Ref. | Chernoff, B., A. Machado-Allison and W.G. Saul, 1991 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | sub-terminal/inferior |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: body very slender, depth 18.4-23.4% SL: head length 20.6-26.6% SL; snout length 8.1-10.8% SL; upper jaw length 4.3-7.2% SL; mouth subterminal; all fins and lower portion of the head cherry red in adults; caudal fin with broadly blackened distal margin; upper jaw darkly pigmented, appearing as a mustache; lateral stripe, when present, from opercle margin to tip of middle caudal rays; anal fin rays 11(one specimen with 10); lateral line scales 36-41; scales above lateral line 4-5; scales below lateral line 4 (one specimen with 5); premaxillary teeth 4 (one specimen with 3); and dentary teeth 3-4 (Ref. 30270). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 36 - 41 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 4 - 5 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 4 - 5 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | 16 - 21 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 31 - 31 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | |
| Adipose fin | present |
| Attributes | forked |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 15 - 19 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position abdominal behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |