| Main Ref. | Russell, B.C., 1990 |
| Appearance refers to | Male; Female |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | no special organs |
| Different appearance | males alike females |
| Different colors | males alike females |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | oval |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly convex |
| 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 |
This species is distinguished by the following characters: head scales reaching to or just in front of anterior nostrils; lateral line scales 43-47 (usually 45-46); pectoral fin rays 16-18 (usually 17); snout length less than eye diameter; greatest body depth 2.5-3.0 in SL. Colour dark grey on head and back with diagonal black-edged white band separating dark area from the rest of the mainly whitish body; white blotch below posterior dorsal fin; 3 yellow stripes on upper head; juveniles with alternating black and yellow stripes on the upper half and whitish below, Batesian mimic of the poison-fanged blenny Meiacanthus grammistes (Ref. 90102). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 43 - 47 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 3 - 5.5 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 12 - 18 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | absent |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 5 - 5 |
| on upper limb | 5 - 5 |
| total | 10 - 10 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 10 - 10 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 7 - 7 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 16 - 18 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |