Species: Stellifer rastrifer, Rake stardrum

Stellifer rastrifer (Jordan, 1889)

Rake stardrum

Body oblong, robust, more or less compressed; head large, low and broad, skull cavernous, translucent, not spongy to touch, wide between eyes; mouth large, oblique, opens at front; chin with 6 pores, no barbels; snout with 8 pores; preopercle with 2 strong bony spines at angle; gill rakers long and slender, 40-50; top corner of gill opening notched; deep notch between spiny and soft parts of dorsal fin, X-XII + I-II, 21-23; anal fin with short base II, 9, 2nd spine >2/3 of 1st ray; pectorals long, reaching anal fin origin; tail fin long and pointed; pored lateral line scales 50-52; scales rough on body, smooth on head except 1-several rows of rough scales along center of nape; soft dorsal with 2-3 rows of small scales along its base; the lateral line extends to the center of the end of the tail fin.