GBIF Taxonomic Backbone & Wikipedia Registry Profile
Description. Body moderately elongate and compressed. Dorsal profile convex from nape to dorsal-fin; greatest body depth at dorsal-fin insertion; ventral profile slightly concave, tapering gradually toward the caudal-fin; greatest body depth slightly anterior to dorsal-fin insertion. Head short, compressed laterally, length longer than maximum head width, depth longer than maximum head width. large and long anterior horn-like structure present on back of head not forked at tip, at about 45 ° angle to horizontal and curved downward at tip. Reduced eyes present in upper half of head; eye diameter less than interorbital distance; interorbital distance larger than distance between posterior nostrils. Snout short, U-shaped, and projecting beyond lower jaw in dorsal view, less than half head length. Mouth subterminal, with slightly projecting upper jaw. Two pairs of nostrils, anterior and posterior nostrils neighboring, nares at 1 / 3 between snout tip and anterior margin of eye; anterior nares possessing an anterior rim with a posterior fleshy flap forming a half-tube. Two pairs of barbels; rostral barbels long, insertion of rostral barbel in front of anterior nostril, not reaching anterior edge of operculum when rostral bent backward; maxillary barbel slightly shorter compared to rostral barbel, tip surpassing eye but not reaching anterior edge of operculum when bent backward. Gill opening large, opercular membranes connected at isthmus, gill rakers well developed, nine on first gill arch. Pharyngeal teeth in three rows with counts of 2, 3, 5 - 5, 3, 2; pharyngeal teeth strong and well developed, with curved and pointed tips. Dorsal fin with two unbranched and seven branched rays; last unbranched dorsal-fin ray hard at base, softening toward tip, with strong serrations along posterior edge; distal margin slightly concave, origin slightly anterior to, or superior to, pelvic-fin insertion and closer to caudal-fin base than to snout tip. Pectoral fin long with one unbranched and 13 branched rays; tip of depressed fin extending about midway between pectoral fin and pelvic-fin insertion; extending from posterior to pelvic-fin insertion and reaching to 35.44 % of pelvic-fin length. Pelvic-fin long with one unbranched and seven branched rays, insertion slightly in front of dorsal-fin insertion, tip of the pelvic-fin rays not reaching the anus when pelvic-fin rays extended backward. Anus closer to anal-fin insertion than pelvic-fin insertion; anal fin with three unbranched and five branched rays; tip of anal-fin not reaching to caudal-fin base. Caudal fin with 17 branched rays and 14 unbranched rays, strongly forked; upper and lower lobes broadly pointed, unequal in length and shape. Lateral line complete, slightly straight, curved upward at the anus position, originating from posterior margin of operculum and extending to end of caudal peduncle. Body scaleless, lateral line pores 38 - 49. Coloration of holotype. In life, body overall white, slightly pink posterior to dorsal fin; barbels and gills red (Fig. 5); with white granular nuptial organs on dorsal surfaces of horn-like structure on back of head and snout (Fig. 5). In 10 % formalin, body overall light yellow; posterior part of operculum and all fins partially transparent (Fig. 4).
