| Main Ref. | Heemstra, P.C., 1986 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Indian Ocean form shows lined versus barred pattern (Ref. 48636). Spinous portion of dorsal fin black at base, deep red distally. A longitudinal row of black spots 8 or 9 subquadrangular red to dark brown spots along back alternating with similar but more vertically elongate red spots on lower side. Two narrow bright red bars at pectoral-fin base (Ref 42740). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 56 - 58 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 25 - 28 |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 7 - 9 |
| on upper limb | 3 - 5 |
| total | 10 - 14 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 5 - 5 |
| Soft-rays total | 21 - 22 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; with dorsal and ventral filament |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 1 - 1 |
| Soft-rays total | 17 - 18 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 16 - 17 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |