Astronesthes richardsoni chin is ribbon-like and lacks a bulb or swelling at its tip. The dorsal fin has 12 to 14 soft rays and the anal fin has 13 to 18. The origin of the dorsal fin is behind the insertion of the pelvic fins. There is a dorsal adipose fin anterior to the caudal peduncle, and a small ventral adipose fin just anterior to the anus. There are two rows of photophores (luminous spots) on each side of the underside of the fish, numerous other photophores on the head and body and a luminous patch on the edge of the preoperculum;
Copella (genus) observation. The pectoral fins are positioned immediately behind the operculum or gill cover, while the pelvic fins are further back along the body, about midway between the head and the caudal peduncle. The dorsal fin is positioned above and slightly behind the pelvic fins, and midway between the pelvic fins and the tail fin is the anal fin. The tail fin is forked in shape. Males usually possess more elongated and ornate unpaired fins than females. In the case of "C. arnoldi", the tail fin of the male is somewhat asymmetrical, the upper lobe being larger than the lower lobe,