| Main Ref. | Allen, G.R., 1998 |
| Appearance refers to | Male; Female |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly convex |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Median predorsal scales 5; a single scale row on cheek; first two dorsal spines in males elevated, forming elongate pennant-like structure, its length 1.6-2.7 in head; caudal fin rounded in juveniles, females, and small males, rhomboid in larger males; pelvic fins of males long and club-shaped, 1.1-1.2 in HL; male reddish or pale orange grading to purple posteriorly on upper two-thirds of head and body with blackish dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins and iridescent blue spots on caudal fin; females mainly reddish; base of pectoral fin black in males and yellow in females. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 19 - 22 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 1 - 1 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 6 - 7 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 15 - 16 |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | 13 - 14 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 25 - 25 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 11 - 11 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 15 - 15 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |