Tomato Snailfish

This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: premaxilla and dentary with broad rows of strongly trilobed teeth (vs. simple or weakly trilobed teeth on both jaws); the large gill opening extends ventrally to pectoral rays 8-12 (vs. smaller above the pectoral fin or extending to less than five pectoral-fin rays); large pelvic disk greater or equal 30% head length (vs. smaller pelvic disk, < 25% HL); most similar to C. ovigerus, which can be distinguished from C. lycopersicus by its simple, canine teeth on both jaws, and to C. kamikawai, which is distinguished by its subterminal mouth, slight dorsal-fin lobe, black peritoneum, smaller pelvic disc, slender caudal base, and more anterior position of the pelvic disc, anus, and anal-fin origin (Ref. 91047).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 42 - 45; Analsoft rays: 34 - 38; Vertebrae: 45 - 50

One 11.6 cm TL ripe male and female specimens were examined: the smallest female with yolked eggs was 14.9 cm (UW 119817). For the ripe females, at least two sizes of eggs were present, yolked eggs were 3.5 mm in diameter and smaller white eggs had diameters of 0.5-1.5 mm (Ref. 91047).