Diagnosis: low number of gill-rakers (15-18) (Ref. 55925).

Description: relatively elongate; outer teeth mostly bicuspid, in lower jaw somewhat procumbently implanted; only largest specimens with significant number of unicuspid teeth, especially in lateral parts of upper jaw; inner teeth of oral jaw tricuspid, obtuse rather than fine and acute; 3-5 series of scales on cheek; lower pharyngeal jaw relatively wide and delicate, with all teeth slender and acute, none of them enlarged and some recurved; gill-rakers not as close-set as in congenerics, but still elongate and not ramified; 22-29 scales in upper part of lateral line, 12-17 in lower part; (3)5-8 scales between pectoral and pelvic fins (Ref. 55925).

Coloration: Live: arrangement of spots as in preserved specimens (Ref. 55925). Adult territorial males of short-spotted form: general color blue; ventral and ventro-lateral parts of head and body yellow, probably darker in highly territorial males; anterior part of body scales yellow, posterior part blue, with the amount of yellow becoming greater towards the ventral part of the body; pectoral fins greyish; pelvic fins black with white leading edge; dorsal and caudal fins greyish blue with yellow-brown maculae and striae; dorsal fin with yellow lappets and white submarginal band; proximal part of anal fin dark, distal part yellowish with yellow ocelli (Ref. 55925). Females of short-spotted form: silvery with bronze hue on dorsal and dorso-lateral parts of head and body, but with yellow ventro-lateral and ventral parts, in particular on head and belly; region between pelvic and anal fins silvery; anterior part of body scales yellow, posterior part silvery, with the amount of yellow becoming greater towards the ventral and ventro-lateral parts of the body; dorsal and caudal fins yellowish grey with brown maculae and striae; pale-yellow dorsal fin lappets; anal fin yellow anteriorly and whitish transparent with pale yellow spots posteriorly; pectoral fins transparent with yellowish hue; pelvic fins yellow with white leading edge (Ref. 55925). Color pattern of immature and non-territorial males of the short-spotted form intermediate between female and adult male pattern, with an increasing intensity of blue with increasing territoriality (Ref. 55925). Non-territorial males of elongate-spotted form: body silvery with a blue hue and some yellow pigment on ventral and lateral part of head and anterior part of body; fins slightly yellowish; dorsal fin with orange-yellow lappets and white submarginal band; dorsal and caudal fins with regular pattern of yellow-brown maculae and striae; anal fin with orange-yellow ocelli (Ref. 55925). Females and immature males of elongate-spotted form similar to short-spotted form but with appreciably less yellow pigment (Ref. 55925). Preserved: species with three spots of variable shape on the body, allowing to discern a short-spotted form and an elongate-spotted form, the latter with a melanin pattern that rather looks like an interrupted line than a series of blotches, due to an elongated suprapectoral and supra-anal spot; suprapectoral spot on upper part of lateral line; supra-anal spot below posterior part of dorsal fin, between upper and lower lateral line; major part of the caudal spot situated on the upper part of the caudal peduncle (Ref. 55925). Adult territorial males: yellow-brown to dark brown, darker on dorsal parts; branchiostegal memebranes and ventral part of body anterior to pelvic fins black; dorsal fin dark brown with dark maculae and white lappets; caudal fin dark brown with indistinct dark maculae; pelvic and anal fins dark brown to black; anal fin with white ventral edge; pectoral fins whitish (Ref. 55925). Juveniles, females and non-territorial males: body brown yellowish; all fins brownish yellow; dorsal and caudal fins with dark maculae; traces of vertical bars can only be seen in juveniles (Ref. 55925).