Table 2.

Morphological and colouration differences between Clepticus parrae, C. africanus and C. brasiliensis

	C. parrae	C. africanus	C. brasiliensis
Morphology
Posterior margin of fleshy opercular flap	Pointed above the pectoral axil	Bluntly pointed above the pectoral axil	Extends as a rounded ear above the pectoral axil
Number of segmented rays in the dorsal fin	10	6–9	6–8
Number of segmented rays in the anal fin	12–13	7–10	7–11
Uppermost and lowermost branched caudal rays	No filaments	Single robust wire-like filament	Two or more wire-like filaments
Colour
Male body courtship colours	Dark blue/purple front two-thirds, orange-yellow rear one-third, pinkish tail	Blackish brown + broad yellow saddle or bar at the pectoral level	Changeable: front half light purple and rear half yellow; or entirely pale pinkish-grey