| Main Ref. | Winterbottom, R., 1985 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | eel-like |
| 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 | terminal |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Opercle with a dark ocellated spot. Gill membranes fused to the isthmus. No posterior otic sensory pore; preopercular pores 7; one posterior interorbital pore. Scaled cheek; variable number of scales dorsally on opercle. A short dark bar running posteroventrally from eye to opercular ocellus. Spots arranged in 5-6 irregular rows. Description: Characterized by having an eel-like body; absence of pelvic fins; small elliptical cycloid scales covering the body; depth of body at origin of anal'fin 53-70% of HL (Ref. 90102). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 21 - 29 |
| 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 | 12 - 14 |
| on upper limb | 2 - 3 |
| total | 14 - 17 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | 15 - 16 |
| total | 64 - 68 |
| Attributes | continuous with caudal fin |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 1 - 1 |
| Soft-rays total | 60 - 63 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 49 - 53 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 9 - 10 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes suppressed/absent |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |