Morphology Data of Epinephelus craigi
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Frable, B.W., S.J. Tucker and H.J. Walker Jr., 2019
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral
Cross section compressed
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the following set of characters: D XI,16-17; A III,8; pectoral-fn rays 18-20; caudal fn rounded; auxiliary scales on body absent; ventral corner of preopercle with 2-4 relatively large spines; upper limb of first gill arch with 7-8 gill rakers; orbit diameter 4.1-5.0 in HL; short snout 5.3-6.7 in HL. Colouration: when freshly dead pale yellowish brown with fve, faint, dark brown bars interrupted dorsally with lighter coloration; darker brown irregular, squarish blotch approximately half way down each bar; a dark band across the operculum; small brown dots dorsally on head and anterodorsally on body; dark bars on body extending partially onto dorsal fin; dorsal, anal and caudal fins without dark margins (Ref. 122001).

Description: E. craigi differs from E. stictus in having dark brown dots dorsally on the head and body and in lacking auxiliary scales on the body opercle (vs. absent in E. stictus; absence of dark margins on the soft dorsal, caudal and anal fns (vs. present); and difference in morphometrics (Ref. 122001).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Epinephelus craigi

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line 81 - 93
Pored lateral line scales 46 - 57
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb 14 - 16
on upper limb 7 - 8
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total 24 - 24

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number 1
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total 11 - 11
Soft-rays total 16 - 17
Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Attributes

Anal fin(s)

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

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  
Spines     0
Soft-rays   18 - 20
Pelvics Attributes  
Position    
Spines     1
Soft-rays   5 - 5
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