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Dorsal spines (total): 3-3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27-27; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 29-29; Vertebrae: 38-38. This species of hemerocoetine trichonotid is distinguished by the following characters: dorsal fins 2 and well separated, D III, 27 with the spines rooted closely together, first dorsal fin with the first spine greatly elongated, second and third moderately extended, a fused pterygiophore complex placed between 4th and 5th neural spine and 5th spine bent down below complex, the second dorsal fin with 27 unbranched segmented rays, mid-fin rays greatly elongated; A 29, all but first two rays branched, none elongated; short pectoral fin, 17-18 rays, branched except one to three uppermost and one or two lowermost; P I,5, all rays branched and not elongated; extended filamentous uppermost branched caudal-fin ray; presence of a prominent maxillary spine; absence of barbels on head; dorsal operculum present on iris; head mostly scaled except cheek; lateral-line scales about 40, each large and with scalloped posterior margin; gill rakers 2 + 13; precaudal 10, caudal 28, total 38 vertebrae (including urostyle). Colouration: prominent bright-yellow midlateral stripe from pectoral-fin insertion to posterior body; a dorsal stripe along base of soft dorsal-fin rays extending out along upper portion of caudal fin; a ventral lateral stripe from mid-abdomen to base of caudal fin just above level of anal-fin base; three bright-yellow oblique bars anteriorly, one under the eye, second on opercle, and third over pectoral-fin base; branchiostegal rays bright yellow (Ref. 123048). |