Arbiter Snailfish

This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: premaxilla and dentary with broad rows of trilobed teeth (vs. simple or weakly trilobed teeth on both jaws); a large gill opening extending ventrally to pectoral rays 8-12 (vs. smaller gill opening above the pectoral fin or extending to less than 5 pectoral-fin rays); large pelvic disk 28.3-32.1% HL (vs. smaller pelvic disk, less than 25% head length) (Ref. 91047).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 43 - 45; Analsoft rays: 36 - 38; Vertebrae: 48 - 50

All specimens examined were females, the largest, a ripe female of 15.3 cm SL (UW 150325). The smallest female with yolked eggs was 13.6 cm SL (UW 119827). At least two sizes of eggs are present in ripe females: yolked eggs 3.5-4.5 mm and white eggs 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter (Ref. 91047).