| Main Ref. | Kottelat, M. and K.K.P. Lim, 1993 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | elongated |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Peculiar color pattern, usually consisting of a white ventral half and a black dorsal half, seldom with 8-11 saddles. Additional useful characters are the small eye (ca. 1.0% SL, 7% HL), the lower lip interrupted medially, each half triangular with only a shallow median lobe (versus well developed in other species), not ending into a barbel-like pointed tip. |
| 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 | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 51 - 55 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 7 - 8 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 6 - 7 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 11 - 11 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 6 - 7 |