1 a. Postorbital pore present; prickles dense, closely spaced........................................................ 2
1 b. Postorbital pore absent; prickles widely scattered or absent..................................................... 6
2 a. Peritoneum gray, stomach gray............................... Careproctus rastrinus Gilbert & Burke (Sea of Okhotsk)
2 b. Peritoneum pale, stomach dark or pale..................................................................... 3
3 a. Stomach dark......................................................................................... 4
3 b. Stomach pale......................................................................................... 5
4 a. Orbit small, 4 to 6 times in head length; pelvic disc 50 to 80 % of orbit length; body dark or pale........................
........................................................ Careproctus trachysoma Gilbert & Burke (Sea of Japan) 4 b. Orbit large, 2.5 to 4 times in head length; pelvic disk 25 to 50 % of orbit length; body pale............................................................................. Careproctus pellucidus Gilbert & Burke (Pacific Ocean, off Japan)
5 a. Lower lobe of pectoral fin long, longer than upper lobe, extending to anal-fin origin; body robust........................................... Careproctus scottae Chapman & DeLacy (Eastern Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska)
5 b. Lower lobe of pectoral-fin moderate, shorter than upper lobe, extending just beyond anus; body slender........................................................... Careproctus acanthodes Gilbert & Burke (Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk)
6 a. Orbit large, 3 times in head length; prickles absent........................ Careproctus spectrum Bean (Gulf of Alaska)
6 b. Orbit not large, less than 3 times in head length; prickles present, widely spaced.................................... 7
7 a. Body uniformly pale, pink to light orange, without scattered melanophores; dorsal-fin rays 56 or less, anal-fin rays 49 or less.................................................................... Careproctus phasma Gilbert (Bering Sea)
7 b. Body pale, pink, light orange, to light gray, with scattered melanophores; dorsal-fin rays 56 or more; anal-fin rays 48 or more............................................. Careproctus lerikimae Orr, Kai & Nakabo, new species (Beaufort Sea)