| Main Ref. | Watson, R.E., P. Keith and G. Marquet, 2001 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | always different colors between mature adults |
| Remarks | Males: dorsal fins distally and caudal fin dorsally and ventrally yellow. Midline of head and body yellowish to russet. Pectoral fin russet ventrally. Distal margin of anal fin bluish. Pelvic disc russet. Females: Dorsal fins distally yellowish or slightly russet. Laterally body and head may appear russet. Pectoral fin may be yellowish. Caudal fin may be yellowish dorsally and ventrally. Belly bright red in gravid material (Ref. 47572). |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | terminal |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Diagnosis: one or 2 canine teeth on each side of upper and lower jaws. Broad blackish 'V' shaped mark on head ventrally in males, appearing dusky in females. Nape with a row of 4 to 7 blackish spots in small individuals on each side, becoming more numerous on upper surface of head, snout and on upper opercle in larger specimens. Markings sexually dimorphic, males dorsal to midline blackish with a row of whitish spots or irregular barring and ventral to midline whitish, females with broad dusky bars laterally, being blackish midlaterally (Ref. 47572). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 17 - 17 |
| 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 | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 7 - 7 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 1 - 1 |
| Soft-rays total | 10 - 10 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 13 - 15 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes part of sucker-disc |
| Position | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |