| Main Ref. | Sandel, M. and P.M. Harris, 2007 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | no special organs |
| Different appearance | males alike females |
| Different colors | different colors during breeding season only |
| Remarks | Males become dark brown to black, with bright blue-green interbars. Interbars are brown and indistinct in females which lack humeral spots and preopercular and postocular bars as seen in E. zonatum. |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | fusiform / normal |
| 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 |
Mouth is terminal and upturned. Normally has 12-14 vertical bars along the body, alternating with iridescent interbars of approximately equal width. Sympatric species have head scales or humeral spots and ocular bars. |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 24 - 30 |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | absent |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | extending over most of the back length |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 4 - 4 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 12 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 5 - 8 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 14 - 17 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal before origin of D1 | |
| Spines 1 | |
| Soft-rays 5 - 5 |