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Dorsal spines (total): 13-14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-11; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 7-8; Vertebrae: 25-26. Diagnosis: Danakilia dinicolai differs from its congener, D. franchettii, in the possession of longer pectoral fins, 31.1-38.7% of standard length vs. 21.7-30.6%; outer row teeth in both oral jaws composed of stout tricuspids, considerably more robust and fewer in number than those of D. franchettii; lower pharyngeal bone relatively massive, longer than wide, length 30-32% of head length, vs. small, only slightly longer than wide, length 25-27% of head length in D. franchettii, with 40-48 teeth in posterior row, vs. 26-36 in D. franchettii (Ref. 85754).
Description: Snout acute, mouth terminal, lips thickened but not fleshy; head large, snout conical with straight profile, head smoothly convex behind nape to dorsal fin, except in largest males with a bulbous frontal gibbosity, particularly evident in life; greatest body depth between insertion of dorsal and pelvic fins; caudal peduncle always longer than deep (Ref. 85754). Caudal fin truncate; dorsal XIII-XIV 9-11; anal III 7-8; pectoral fin long, reaching to anal fin origin or beyond; first pelvic ray longer in males than females but pelvic fin always reaching anus, and often beyond anal origin (Ref. 85754). Jaws isognathous, both with 2-4 rows of tricuspid teeth; outer row teeth in both jaws stout tricuspids with small, symmetrically rounded lateral cusps and larger medial cusp, considerably more robust and fewer in number than in Danakilia franchettii; lower pharyngeal bone relatively massive, longer than wide, length 30-32% of head length; pharyngeal teeth in anterior field of jaw, robust unicuspids, sparsely implanted, becoming increasingly elongate, recurved and spatulate posteriorly, densely implanted over posterior field of jaw, 40-48 teeth in posterior row; pharyngeal teeth in D. franchettii are similarly arrayed, but coarser and less densely implanted in posterior field of jaw, 26-36 teeth in posterior row (Ref. 85754). Eleven to 14 small, moderately tuberculate gill rakers along lower limb of first arch, including raker at angle, 2 or 3 pointed epibranchial rakers; microbranchiospines absent (Ref. 85754). Scales cycloid, 2 or 3 rows on cheek, 2-4 horizontal rows on opercle; dark scaleless spot on outer edge of opercle; chest and belly scales deeply embedded, markedly smaller than on flank, 4 or 5 scales between pectoral and pelvic fins; upper lateral line separated from dorsal fin anteriorly by 3 or 4 scale rows, at 8th pored scale by 2 scale rows, at last pored scale by 1-1.5 scale rows; end of upper lateral line separated from lower lateral line by 1 or 2 scale rows; basal 1/3 of caudal fin covered with scales; other fins unscaled (Ref. 85754). Infraorbital series complete, with lachrymal (first infraorbital) and four tubular infraorbitals, lachrymal with five openings of laterosensory system; total of 25 or 26 vertebrae, 11-13 precaudal and 12-14 caudal; inferior vertebral apophysis supporting anterior end of gas bladder composed of elongate ventro-posteriorly directed process on 3rd vertebral centrum which abuts a stout ventro-posteriorly directed process on 4th centrum (Ref. 85754).
Colouration: Females and non-dominant males in life: opercule and body pale silvery-grey, snout and nape dark brownish-black; dark scaleless spot on outer edge of opercle variously intense, but always present; upper lip with bluish cast, lower lip grey; throat and branchiostegal membranes pale silver-grey; two dark longitudinal stripes sometimes visible on flanks, upper stripe at level of upper lateral line, passing to end of dorsal-fin base, lower stripe from edge of opercle to caudal base, not extending into caudal fin; sometimes 5-7 dark vertical bars on body from dorsal-fin base to ventrum; eye golden-yellow to brownish-black (Ref. 85754). Dominant males in life: dorsal, caudal and anal fins pale blue, with numerous paler blue dots; white margin of dorsal fin flushed pale red-orange distally; thin white margin on upper caudal lobe; pelvic blue, paler distally; body scales with iridescent, pale blue posterior margins, centrally grey to greyish-black; scales on chest and belly silvery grey, with darker grey margins; prominent frontal gibbosity blackish-blue to greyish-blue; snout and lips pale blue (Ref. 85754). Colouration in preservation: both sexes with head and body brown, darker dorsally, with dark lines or bars often visible as described in living specimens; dorsal, anal and caudal fins heavily spotted in males, less so in females (Ref. 85754). |