| Main Ref. | Randall, J.E. and T.A. Adamsom, 1982 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | always different morphology between mature adults |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| 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 | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Ground color of male body burgundy, becoming paler ventrally; head irregularly striped with green and burgundy; iris yellow. Preserved females pale with 5 irregular, dusky bars on side of body; pelvic fins with 2 black spots. Fin spines pungent. Posterior preopercular margin free dorsally to about level of mouth, ventral margin free anteriorly nearly to a vertical at front edge of orbit. Long pelvic fins: reaching or nearly reaching anus in females; extending posterior to anal fin origin in males. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 26 - 26 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 3 - 3.5 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | 8 - 8.5 |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 16 - 16 |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | 19 - 20 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | 9 - 9 |
| total | 25 - 25 |
| Attributes | extending over most of the back length |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 9 - 9 |
| Soft-rays total | 11 - 11 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 11 - 11 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 13 - 13 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |