Morphology Data of Balistapus undulatus
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann, 2012
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs no special organs
Different appearance
Different colors males alike females
Remarks One of the sexually dimorphic triggerfishes with adult males lacking stripes on most of the snout (Ref. 37816).

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features striking fins
Body shape lateral short and / or deep
Cross section oval
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
Diagnosis

This species is distinguished by the following characters: front of eye without the elongate groove; enlarged scales above the pectoral-fin base and just behind the gill opening to form a flexible tympanum; the scales of the caudal peduncle with 2 longitudinal rows of large anterior-projecting spines; the slightly rounded caudal fin with compressed peduncle; head and body colour green to brown with diagonally curved orange lines and a large round black blotch covering most of the caudal-fin base; rays of soft dorsal, anal and pectoral fins orange and also the caudal fin (Ref. 10920, 9770).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Balistapus undulatus

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series 36 - 40
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
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes first rays forming locking device
Fins number 2
Finlets No. Dorsal   0 - 0
Ventral  0 - 0
Spines total 3 - 3
Soft-rays total 24 - 27
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes more or less truncate

Anal fin(s)

Fins number
Spines total 0 - 0
Soft-rays total 20 - 24

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   13 - 15
Pelvics Attributes  joint to one spine only
Position    abdominal  behind origin of D1
Spines     1
Soft-rays   0 - 0
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
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