| Main Ref. | Stevenson, D.E. and C.P. Kenaley, 2011 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | short and / or deep |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
This species is distinguished from P. maderensis and P. nudarcus by having fingerlike papillae along the dorsal margin of the hyoid arch and at the interhyal-posterior ceratohyal articulation, as well as having more dorsal-fin rays (30-33 versus 27-31 in P. maderensis and P. nudarcus) and fewer anal-fin rays (15-18 versus 17-20 in the 2 latter species); Paracaristius aquilus differs from P. nemorosus by its lesser body depth (<50% SL in P. aquilus vs. >50% SL in P. nemorosus) and caudal-peduncle depth (relatively long and shallow in P. aquilus vs. short and deep in P. nemorosus) (Ref. 87954). |
| 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 | 13 - 18 |
| on upper limb | 5 - 8 |
| total | 19 - 23 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | 16 - 18 |
| total | 35 - 37 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 30 - 33 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 16 - 17 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 16 - 18 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |