Morphology Data of Caecieleotris morrisi
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Walsh, S.J. and P. Chakrabarty, 2016
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral elongated
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes eyes absent
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth superior
Type of scales cycloid scales
Diagnosis

Caecieleotris morrisi is distinguished from the majority of other sleepers, and all epigean forms in the Western Atlantic, by the absence of eyes and pigmentation. This species is provisionally placed in the Gobiiformes, family Eleotridae, based on a limited number of characters that it shares with other members of the family as currently recognized, e.g., having a mode of six branchiostegals, pelvic fins separated at the base, and procurrent cartilages of the caudal fin elongated posteriorly and extended over the epurals. It differs from the cave-dwelling Bostrychus microphthalmus from Sulawesi by the absence of eyes (vs. present, minute, covered by skin), complete lack of pigmentation (vs. body pale, few melanophores on dorsum), absence of scales on operculum and side of head (vs. present), lower lateral scale count (?32 vs. ?102), fewer transverse scale rows on midside of body (?6 vs. ?31), and absence of pores associated with the cephalic lateralis system (vs. present). It can be diagnosed from the blind species of Oxyeleotris from Indonesia (O. colasi) and Papua New Guinea (O. caeca) in lacking sensory pores on the head associated with the cephalic lateralis system (vs. cephalic sensory pores present, although reduced in comparison to other gobiiform fishes). It differs from the cave species of Typhleotris from Madagascar (T. madagascariensis, T. mararybe, and T. pauliani) in having the head asquamate (vs. scales extending anteriorly onto the head), squamation absent on the venter (vs. fully scaled on the belly as well as laterally below the pectoral fin), scales embedded (especially on anterior half of body) and hard to discern (vs. in prominent rows on the surface of the body and head). Cave-dwelling species of the genus Milyeringa from western Australia have elements of the first dorsal fin reduced (spines II-IV in M. veritas) to absent (M. justitia), versus V-VI in Caecieleotris morrisi; and also have 4-5 total lepidotrichia (first unsegmented) in the pelvic fin, versus six in Caecieleotris morrisi (Ref. 109339).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Caecieleotris morrisi

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 10 - 11
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total 24 - 25

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number 2
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total 6 - 7
Soft-rays total 7 - 8
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes pointed

Anal fin(s)

Fins number
Spines total 1 - 1
Soft-rays total 6 - 10

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  
Spines     
Soft-rays   13 - 15
Pelvics Attributes  
Position    
Spines     1
Soft-rays   5 - 5
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
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