| Referencia principal | Heemstra, P.C., 1986 |
| El aspecto se refiere a | macho; hembra |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| órganos especializados | no special organs |
| diverso aspecto | males alike females |
| diversos colores | males alike females |
| Observaciones | Females are larger than males (Ref. 86435). |
| Características llamativas | striking shape of body |
| Forma lateral del cuerpo | short and / or deep |
| Sección transversal | oval |
| Perfil dorsal de la cabeza | more or less straight |
| Tipo de ojos | more or less normal |
| Tipo de boca/hocico | more or less normal |
| Posición de la boca | terminal |
| Type of scales | scales embedded or partly/completely absent |
| Diagnosis |
The scaleless body is covered with extremely thick, elastic skin. The caudal fin is replaced by a rudder-like structure called 'clavus'. Dorsal and anal fins very high with short base; in swimming, these fins are flapped synchronously from side to side and can propel the fish at surprisingly good speed. Pectorals small and rounded, directed upward (Ref. 6885). Mouth very small; teeth fused to form a parrot-like beak. Gills 4, a slit behind the last; gill openings reduced to a small hole at the base of the pectoral fins. Gas bladder absent in adults. Description: Characterized further by deep and oval body, nearly circular, depth 1-1.5 in TL; rough texture of skin; clavus supported by about 12 fin rays, of which 8-9 bear ossicles (Ref. 90102). |
| Facilidad de identificación | easy to distinguish from other species. |
| Líneas laterales | interrumpido: No |
| Escalas en la línea lateral | 0 - 0 |
| Escalas de la línea lateral con poros | 0 - 0 |
| Escalas en las series laterales | 0 - 0 |
| Filas de escalas sobre la línea lateral | 0 - 0 |
| Filas de escalas debajo de la línea lateral | 0 - 0 |
| Escalas alrededor del peduncule caudal | 0 - 0 |
| Barbillas | 0 |
| Hendiduras branquiales (solamente tiburones/rayas) | |
| Branquispinas | |
| en el miembro inferior | |
| en el miembro superior | |
| total | |
| Vértebra | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Cualidades | other |
| Número de las aletas | 1 |
| número de pínnulas | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| total de espinas | 0 - 0 |
| Total de rayos suaves | 15 - 18 |
| Aleta adiposa | absent |
| Cualidades | other (see remark) |
| Número de las aletas | 1 |
| total de espinas | 0 - 0 |
| Total de rayos suaves | 14 - 17 |
| Pectoral | Cualidades other (see Diagnosis) |
| espinas 0 | |
| Rayos-suaves 12 - 13 | |
| Pélvicas | Cualidades suppressed/absent |
| posición absent | |
| espinas 0 | |
| Rayos-suaves 0 - 0 |