The term blushing comes from the clear gill plates found on juveniles.

Their gills do not have gill plates or other supports.

Adult males' gill plates are adorned with metallic scales that range from sky blue to gold, depending on the lighting.

An additional dark spot on the gill plate is not black, but translucent, exposing the pink of the gills.

This yellow colouration is then scattered with vivid black spots which are seen all along the flanks and gill plates.

Females are smaller than the male and the red pigment seems more prominent in the gill plates.

Kneeling down I grasped the sand-covered bluefish firmly behind the gill plates.

Below: The dark line over the gill plate will be unbroken on Datnoides microlepis.

Highlights sseen about the gill plates are green.

The "wen" (Chinese term for headgrowth) fully covers the head, cheeks and gill plates of the fish.