Morphology Data of Oxycheilinus orientalis
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Randall, J.E. and M. Khalaf, 2003
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features none
Body shape lateral 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 terminal
Type of scales cycloid scales
Diagnosis

Color of large adults red in life; body usually with 5 indistinct narrow pale bars that may contain white flecks, and 2 faint pale stripes along side; irregular bright red vertical lines on edges of scales anteriorly on midside and lower part of body, along with red dots; head with white to pale blue-green transverse lines on side of lower jaw, widest near front of chin; side of snout and head below eye with small dark-edged white to pale blue-green spots; iris orange-yellow with a blue ring, hind edge of eye black with a bright blue-green spot above (shows when eye directed forward); a blackish smudge on 2nd and 3rd lateral-line scales may be present (not related to sex); dorsal and anal fins light orange-red with oblique red lines and dark-edged white to blue lines or rows of dashes or small spots, the dorsal sometimes blackish on 1st membrane, rarely with a broad dusky border; caudal fin red with small white spots, often with an irregular blotchy white bar near base; pectoral fins with dark-edged pale yellowish rays and clear membranes; pelvic fins translucent whitish, blotched with red and flecked with white. Color of small adults light red, finely flecked with pink dorsally and white ventrally, with an orange-yellow stripe from chin to eye and along side of body to midbase of caudal fin; stripe on body broadly bordered above and below with a broad whitish band; edges of scales along midside of body with vertical red lines; two small midlateral bright red spots, one below middle of soft portion of dorsal fin and the other on base of caudal fin (Ref. 47566).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Oxycheilinus orientalis

Lateral Lines 1 Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line 20 - 22
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line 1.5 - 1.5
Scale rows below lateral line 5 - 5
Scales around caudal peduncle 12 - 12
Barbels 0
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb 6 - 8
on upper limb 4 - 5
total 10 - 13
Vertebrae
preanal
total 23 - 23

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes no striking attributes
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   0 - 0
Ventral  0 - 0
Spines total 9 - 9
Soft-rays total 10 - 10
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes more or less truncate; more or less normal

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 3 - 3
Soft-rays total 8 - 8

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   12 - 12
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    thoracic  beneath origin of D1
Spines     1
Soft-rays   5 - 5
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