| Main Ref. | Caruso, J.H., 1986 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | short and / or deep |
| Cross section | flattened |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | other (see remarks) |
| Position of mouth | superior |
| Diagnosis |
Peritoneum pale. Head and body depressed. Mouth wide and cavernous. Skin thin and loose, scales absent. Esca bifid, 2 broad, flattened , leaf-like blades. Dorsal spines long, stout and bearing many well-developed tendrils; 4th spine greater than snout width (Ref. 4712). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 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 | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 8 - 8 |
| Soft-rays total | 11 - 12 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 10 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |