Komodo Whiptail

This species is distinguished by the following characters: caudal fin lobes without filamentous extensions, slightly emarginated; eye diameter is greater than snout diameter; predorsal scales reaching forward to almost level of anterior edge of eye and well behind posterior nostril openings; naked suborbital; 1-2 rows of small scales on lower limb of preopercle; lateral line scales 44 (including tubed scale on caudal-fin base); pectoral-fin rays 16. Colour of snout and forehead dull yellow, eye with iridescent blue band below, iris bright yellow, brown color on upper back, bluish along ventral head and body with broad, posteriorly tapering, golden yellow stripe on side (brownish margins), narrow blue stripe from forehead to base of dorsal fin until upper surface of caudal peduncle, semi-translucent fins; juveniles overall sky blue in color with a pair of bright yellow stripes meeting at the snout, an upper and narrow one extending along back to end of dorsal fin and a wider midlateral stripe to base of caudal fin (Ref. 90102).

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 7; Vertebrae: 24

Occurs in small schools, 20-30 individuals, over rubble slopes at 12-25 m depth (Ref. 90102).