| Main Ref. | Gon, O., 1993 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral | elongated |
| 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 | |
| Diagnosis |
Body with 4 black stripes; uppermost extending from nape along dorsal-fin base to caudal-fin base; stripes broken to dots posteriorly on caudal peduncle and caudal-fin base; the head between stripes yellowish; fins pale. Developed gill rakers on hypobranchial 1-2; on ceratobranchial 8. Preopercular edge usually smooth, sometimes with several weak serrae at angle (Ref. 8525). Mimics Malacanthus species; only close examination reveals the different mouth shape and the apogonid has two separate dorsal fins, whilst the blenny has a long continuous single fin (Ref. 48635). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 27 - 27 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| 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 | 9 - 10 |
| on upper limb | 1 - 2 |
| total | 10 - 12 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 7 - 7 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes | forked; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 2 - 2 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 8 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 11 - 13 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |