| Main Ref. | Gon, O. and G.R. Allen, 2012 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| Body shape lateral | short and / or deep |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly convex |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | superior |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
This species is distinguished by the following characters: dorsal fin rays VI-I, 9; anal fin rays II, 8; pectoral fin rays 15; pelvic fin rays I, 5; pored lateral line scales 23; predorsal scales 6; circumpeduncular scales 12; total gill rakers 13-14, developed gill rakers 7-8 (Ref. 093839); body uniformly black and all fins pinkish except for pectoral. Head large. Similar to S. versicolor, but distinguished by 6 spines on the first dorsal (7 in S. versicolor). Body and weakly ctenoid scales covered with a mucous membrane. A luminous organ is present inside the translucent thorax muscles, containing symbiotic luminescent bacteria. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 23 - 24 |
| Pored lateral line scales | 23 - 23 |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 12 - 12 |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 7 - 11 |
| on upper limb | 2 - 4 |
| total | 9 - 14 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 7 - 7 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 10 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 2 - 2 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 8 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 14 - 16 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |