| Main Ref. | Smith, M.M., 1986 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | short and / or deep |
| Cross section | compressed |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Characterized by having tubed lateral-line scales 19-20+9-10; depth of body 2.5-2.7 in SL; dorsal and anal fins elevated posteriorly; rounded caudal fin. The false eye which is actually the dorsal fin ocellus confuses predators because it poses an inverted image of a fish. When alarmed, this fish will poke its head into a hole and expose its tail end which mimics the head of the moray eel (Ref. 9710). Head and body brownish black with small pale blue spots; vertical and pelvic fins dark orange-brown, with many small blue spots; blue ringed black ocellus above base of last 3 dorsal rays; yellow spots at base of upper caudal rays; pectoral rays bright yellow, fin membrane transparent (Ref. 10430). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | 19 - 29 |
| 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 | 2 - 3 |
| total | 11 - 13 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 11 - 11 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 10 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 17 - 20 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes |
| Position | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 4 - 4 |