| Main Ref. | Hutchins, J.B., 1997 |
| Appearance refers to | Male; Female |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks | Elevated anterior portions of the soft dorsal and anal fins. Dorsalmost 1-2 and middle caudal fin rays usually elongate and filamentous. |
| Striking features | striking shape of body |
| Body shape lateral | short and / or deep |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | more or less straight |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | ctenoid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Body width 2.1-2.5 in head length; body depth 1.9-2.5 in SL; head length 2.8-3.1 in SL; snout length 4.1-4.5 in SL; eye diameter 2.7-3.9 in head length. Spinules forming prominent longitudinal series on side of body (Ref. 33065). Description: Characterized further by white to pale brown body color with mottled pattern of brown blotches; upper back below anterior part of soft dorsal fin usually with prominent circular blotch, and diffuse bars, one joining posterior part of soft dorsal and anal fins, and another across caudal peduncle; origin of first dorsal spine above posterior half of eye; second dorsal and anal fins elevated anteriorly; straight to convex dorsal profile of snout in male, lacking obvious hump in front of nostril, female and juvenile with straight to slightly concave dorsal profile; rounded to double emarginate caudal fin, upper and middle lobe filamentous in male (Ref. 90102). |
| Ease of Identification | likely to be confused with closely related species. |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | 18 - 19 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 19 - 19 |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 2 - 2 |
| Soft-rays total | 30 - 33 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 31 - 34 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 12 - 14 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes joint to one spine only |
| Position abdominal behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 0 - 0 |