Metamorphosed females distinguished by the following characteristics: hyomandibular bone with single head; wide ethmoid cartilage and vomer, wider than distance between anterolateral tips of lateral ethmoids and frontals; presence of vomerine teeth in juvenile, lost with growth in adults; depressed ethmoid region, narrow and oval nasal foramina; frontals long and anterior in position, overhanging and extending past the anterior limits of the ethmoid cartilage and vomer; nearly linear dorsal margin of frontals; ventromedial extensions of the frontals approach each other on midline, making contact with parasphenoid; frontals separated from prootics; presence of pterosphenoid anterior end of illicial trough is wider and shallower than posterior end; well developed sphenotic spines; well developed symphysial spine on lower jaw; well developed quadrate spine; deeply notched posterior margin of opercle; long and narrow subopercle, dorsal end slender and tapering to a point, oval ventral end; absence of first pharyngobranchial; reduced and toothless second pharyngobranchial; second hypobranchial absent; caudal fin rays without internal pigmentation; illicium longer than length of esca bulb; pterygoiphore of illicium cylindrical throughout its length, emerging on snout from between frontal bones, anterior end slightly exposed, posterior end concealed beneath skin; well developed first ray of dorsal fin; dorsal fin rays 5-6; anal fin rays 4-5; short and broad pectoral fin lobe, shorter than longest rays of pectoral fin; pectoral fin rays 18-22; coracoid lacking posteroventral process; simple pelvic bones, with or without distal expansion; skin smooth and naked, without dermal spinules; darkly pigmented skin of caudal peduncle extends well past base of caudal fin (Ref. 86949).