| Main Ref. | Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall, 1993 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | different colors in juveniles and adults |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | clearly concave |
| Type of eyes | more or less normal |
| Type of mouth/snout | more or less normal |
| Position of mouth | superior |
| Type of scales | ctenoid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Adults have yellow fins. Small juveniles about half blue, half yellow (Ref. 48635); distinguished by having sky blue color of head and body in juveniles to dark bluish violet or dark greyish blue in adults; yellow upper lip; ctenoid scales on body except cycloid scales anterodorsally above lateral line and on thorax and abdomen; body of adult with numerous auxiliary scales; moderately deep bodied, greatest depth 2.4-2.8 in SL; truncate to slightly emarginate caudal fin; pelvic fins 1.7-2.0 in head length (Ref. 90102); further characterized by having head length 2.4-2.7 times in SL; preorbital depth 6.8-8.8 times in head length for fish 36-66 cm SL; interorbital area convex; adults posterior nostrils 4-5 times larger than anterior nostrils; subangular preopercle, serrae at angle enlarged; straight to slightly convex upper edge of operculum; maxilla reaches to or slightly past vertical at rear edge of eye; 2-4 rows of teeth on midlateral part of lower jaw (Ref. 89707). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 61 - 64 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 129 - 148 |
| 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 | 15 - 17 |
| on upper limb | 8 - 10 |
| total | 23 - 27 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1notched No |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 11 - 11 |
| Soft-rays total | 16 - 17 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 8 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 18 - 20 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |