| Main Ref. | Paulin, C. and C. Roberts, 1992 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| 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 | |
| Diagnosis |
More pointed head and mouth than Mugil cephalus, and their eyes lack adipose (fatty) eyelids. Body scales are small (54-64 between gill opening and tail base) and thin, and are easily dislodged. 2 widely separated dorsal fins, the first with 4 spines and the second with 1 spine and 9 rays. These fish are olive or bluish brown above and silvery on the sides, and their eyes are bright yellow or golden. The fins have brown margins. |
| Ease of Identification | easy to distinguish from other species. |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 60 - 67 |
| 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 | 69 - 76 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 5 - 5 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 12 - 12 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 15 - 15 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |