| Main Ref. | Randall, J.E., E.A. Lachner and T.H. Fraser, 1985 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| 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 |
When fresh, body translucent gray, thorax and abdomen light golden; variable sized brown spots on head; golden operculum with close-set blackish spots forming broad dark stripes. Caudal fin base with a large, round, dark brown spot. Anterior nostril with long, darkly pigmented membranous flap. Posterior half of upper jaw almost white, usually with a small dark spot on the side of maxilla. Second dorsal spine longest. 39-41 scales in longitudinal series. Convex interorbital space. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 2 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 39 - 41 |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 9 - 10 |
| on upper limb | 2 - 2 |
| total | 11 - 12 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | 10 - 10 |
| total | 24 - 24 |
| Attributes | other |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 7 - 7 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 8 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 2 - 2 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 10 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 16 - 16 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |