| Main Ref. | Trewavas, E., 1983 |
| Appearance refers to | Male; Female |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | no special organs |
| Different appearance | males alike females |
| Different colors | different colors during breeding season only |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | none |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | short and / or deep |
| 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 | terminal |
| Type of scales | cycloid scales |
| Diagnosis |
Description: Deep bodied with straight predorsal profile, mature males with concave profile, extended soft dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 52193). Gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch 16-20 (Ref. 2, 52193). Dorsal fin with 16-18 spines and 10-13 soft rays; anal fin with 3-4 spines and 8-11 soft rays (Ref. 2, 52193). Lateral line scales 30-32 (Ref. 52193). Colouration: Adults olive brown above, silvery below, with sooty grey head and fins; red margin to dorsal fin (Ref. 52193). Juveniles silvery with 8-9 faint vertical bars; soft dorsal, anal and caudal fins with dark streaks and light spots (Ref. 52193). Breeding males are very dark grey on head and body with throat and all fins black; with a red or orange margin on the dorsal and grey or black marblings on the gill-cover (Ref. 2, 52193). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | 2 Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 30 - 32 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | 3.5 - 4.5 |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | 0 |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | absent |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | 16 - 20 |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 29 - 31 |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | 16 - 18 |
| Soft-rays total | 10 - 13 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | more or less truncate; more or less normal |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 3 - 4 |
| Soft-rays total | 8 - 11 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position thoracic behind origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays |