Diagnosis: vertebrae 31–33 + 76–79 = 107–112;

pectoral fin rays 12–14; pelvic fin rudimentary,

rays 2; single mediolateral branch of the lateral

line system; scales present on nape and cheeks

(Ref. 112624).

Description: head ovoid, deeper than wide in

larger specimens than smallest, snout gently

sloping in all; scales cycloid, relatively

sparsely distributed in these juveniles, absent on

fins and pectoral base and axil; scales present in

nape to about 1 eye diameter posterior to eye in

smallest specimen, to interorbital area in others;

eye small, rounded, entering dorsal profile of

head in larger fish; gill slit moderate, reaching

ventrally to lower edge of pectoral base or just

below it; opercular lobe at dorsal margin of gill

slit slightly rounded posteriorly, extending

forward about 1 eye diameter; pectoral-fin origin

slightly below body midline, insertion on abdomen;

posterior margin of fin wedge-shaped, with rays 4–

6 from dorsalmost the longest; ventralmost rays

not noticeably thickened, no ray tips exserted;

mouth very slightly subterminal and oblique, upper

jaw extending posteriorly to middle of eye;

epidermal prickles absent on head; nostril tube

not reaching forward to upper lip; oral valve

reaching just posterior to anterior edge of vomer;

jaw teeth small, conical; premaxilla with single

row of teeth in smallest, 2-3 anterior rows

blending into single posterior row in larger

specimens; dentary with 3 rows of teeth anteriorly

blending into single posterior row in all;

vomerine teeth few in juveniles; palatine teeth in

single row, also relatively few; cephalic

lateralis system with no variation in pore counts;

2 postorbital pores; suborbital pores 6 + 0 on

both sides of all; 8 preoperculomandibular pores;

2 anterior supraorbital (nasal) pores, 1 set

anteromesial to nostril tube, the other

dorsoposteriorly; interorbital and occipital pores

absent; body lateral line system with single,

mediolateral branch originating just posterior to

postorbital pore 4, running to tail tip; no trace

of ventral or dorsolateral neuromasts; dorsal-fin

origin associated with vertebrae 7–8, with no free

pterygiophores; anal fin origin associated with

vertebrae 30–31 (ultimate precaudal), with 3–5

pterygiophores inserted anterior to haemal spine

of 1st caudal vertebra; last dorsal ray associated

with 4th preural vertebra, last anal ray

associated with 2nd preural vertebra; caudal fin

with 2 epural, 4 upper hypural and 4 lower hypural

rays; gill rakers short, those on upper limb

(epibranchial) acute, lower rakers

(ceratobranchial and hypobranchial) blunt, roughly

triangular; pseudobranchial filaments short and

slender; branchiostegal rays 4 + 2 (Ref. 112624).

Coloration: Fresh colouration: uniformly pinkish

white, edges of unpaired fins translucent; abdomen

bluish black, eye blue (Ref. 112624). In

preservative: dull whitish, orobranchial chamber

pale (Ref. 112624).