1a. Body naked: dark green with about 17 to 23 narrow, pair green bars behind pectoral-fin base: side of head with broad postorbital red to brownish red stripe; pectorai rays usually 2O or 21 (rarely 19)........................................................................multifasciatus (Steindachner)

1b. Body with at least 2 basicaudal scales; body pale to dark but not greenish: no longitudinal postorbital stripe; pectoral rays 14 to 18 (rarely 19)........................................2

2a. Body straw colored, crossed behind pectoral-fin base by 13 conspicuous dark mahogany colored bands.......................................................................................................3

2b. Body variously spotted or banded but, if banded, the bands less conspicuous and fewer than 13 behind pectoral-fin base.................................................................................4

3a. Adjacent dark bands on body wider than pale interspace; 4 modified basicaudal scales plus patch of 9 to 12 scales on side of caudal peduncle; pectoral rays usually 18 (17 to 19).....................................................................................................................zebrella (Robins)

3b. Adjacent dark bands on body narrower than pale interspace; 4 modified basicaudal scales plus patch of 4 or 5 scales on side of caudal peduncle; pectoral rays usually 17 (16 to 18).........................................................................................macrodon  (Beebe and Tee-Van)

4a. Body dark. usually with 8 or 9 dark but deep-seated and frequently inconspicuous bands on body behind pectoral fin............................................................................................5

4b. Body pallid, with conspicuous dark spots or indistinct bands; if banded, squamation reduced to 2 basicaudal scales.................................................................................................6

5a. Dorsal, caudal and anal fins with rays conspicuously barred, interradial membranes dark; body dark, the bands deep-seated and frequently difficult to see against generally dark background; 5 to 8 rows of scales on side of caudal peduncle....................................................................................................gemmatus  (Ginsburg)

5b. Dorsal, caudal and anal fins not barred; bands usually conspicuous and forked dorsally; 8 to 13 rows of scales on side of caudal peduncle.....................pallens  (Ginsburg)

6a. Body bo]dly spotted with dark mahogany brown; 4 or 5 rows of scales on caudal peduncle..............................................................................................................saucrus  (Robins)

6b. Body banded (sometimes indistinctly) posteriorly; sides of belly with 2 bright orange spots, separated by 2 dark bars and white interspace (the orange fading rapidly in preservative); only two small basicaudal scales.........................dilepis (Robins and Bohlke)