| 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 | compressed |
| 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 |
With 8 or 9 regular vertical darker brown bars on side. The only grouper in the Caribbean with a pattern of regular dark bars (Ref. 26938). Further distinguished by the following characteristics: head and body buff; blackish brown pelvic fins; prominent blackish brown maxillary streak on the cheek along upper edge of the maxilla; depth of body contained 2.4-2.9 times in SL; head length 2.3-2.5 times in SL; convex interorbital area; rounded preopercle angle, with enlarged serrae, 1-2 small serrae at lower edge, just in front of the angle; serrate interopercle and subopercle; posterior nostrils greatly enlarged, diameter is 4 or more times larger than anterior nostrils (Ref. 89707). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 1 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 58 - 69 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | 99 - 112 |
| 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 | 14 - 16 |
| on upper limb | 8 - 10 |
| total | 22 - 26 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 11 - 11 |
| Soft-rays total | 14 - 15 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 3 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 9 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 18 - 19 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |