This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: anteriorly oblique dark brown flank bars; dorsal head contour, from the tip of the snout to the vertical through the posterior margin of the eye, almost straight, except for a conspicuous concavity at the interorbital region; lower jaw 40.2-46.9% HL and 16.7-18.5% SL; upper jaw, 12.2-15.1% SL; discontinuous lateral band in fixed specimens; lateral band divided into blotches more conspicuous at the encounter with flank bars; unpigmented areas anteriorly and posteriorly to the midlateral spot absent, not forming a whitish circle above the longitudinal stripe; dorsal portion of the flank bar 5 anteriorly inclined and less conspicuous than the midlateral spot; eight flank bars (1a, 1p, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7); lateral band equally conspicuous along its entire length; dark-brown blotch dorsal to midlateral spot absent; cheek spot present, not spanning the entire anterior margin of the vertical arm of the preopercle; iridescent vermiculations on the cheek, opercle and pectoral girdle absent; suborbital stripe not retained in adult specimens; large, dark-brown blotches on the cheek and opercle and by the brown lachrymal region absent; preopercular spot absent; round midlateral spot; posterodorsal blotch on the flank absent (133465).