| Main Ref. | Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall, 1993 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | oval |
| 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 | superior |
| Type of scales | ctenoid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Similar to the more common Cephalopholis spiloparaea but lacks banding in the caudal fin (Ref. 48635); characterized further by reddish brown color; base of pelvic fins with indistinct dark blotch; greatest body depth 2.5-2.9 in SL; rounded caudal fin; short pelvic fins, 2.3-2.5 in head length; strongly bilobed margin of front of upper lip (Ref. 90102); head length 2.1-2.3 times in SL; rounded preopercle, posterior edge finely serrate, lower edge fleshy; very convex upper edge of operculum; maxilla extends past eye; teeth large; midlateral-body scales ctenoid (Ref. 89707). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 46 - 49 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 82 - 99 |
| 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 | 16 - 19 |
| on upper limb | 8 - 9 |
| total | 24 - 28 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 9 - 9 |
| Soft-rays total | 14 - 14 |
| 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 15 - 16 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |