| Main Ref. | Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | more or less straight |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | superior |
| Type of scales | scales embedded or partly/completely absent |
| Diagnosis |
Body extremely elongate, compressed and tapering to a point. Mouth large with a dermal process on the tip of each jaw. The lower hind margin of the gill cover convex. Lateral line running almost straight, closer to the ventral contour. Anal fins reduced to minute spinules buried in skin. Pelvic fins reduced to scale-like spines. Fresh specimens steely blue with metallic reflections, becoming silvery gray after death. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 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 | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | extending over most of the back length |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 118 - 132 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | pointed; more or less normal |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes other (see diagnosis) |
| Position thoracic behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |