| Main Ref. | Greenfield, D.W. and K. Matsuura, 2002 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Distinguished from all other Scorpaenodes species by having the first two spines on the suborbital ridge extending dorsally above the lower orbit margin; no distinct dark spot on opercle, subopercle, or spinous dorsal fin; pectoral fin rays usually 17; vertical scale rows 39-43; head and upper body light cream overlaid by dark brown to black pigment pattern; lower half of body light cream to white, edges of scales on lower half pink (Ref. 46823); Suborbital ridge with four spinules; presence of interorbital and coronal spines, small; depth of body 2.8-3.1 in SL (Ref. 90102). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 21 - 22 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 39 - 43 |
| 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 | 8 - 8 |
| on upper limb | 4 - 4 |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 1notched No |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 13 - 13 |
| Soft-rays total | 10 - 11 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 5 - 6 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 17 - 18 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |