Diagnosis: Dorsal rays 68-71; anal rays 53; most dorsal and anal rays double branched. Lateral-line scales 70-73 (including 6-7 anterior to a vertical at upper end of gill opening). Vertebrae 36-37; dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 10-11. Body depth 2.25-2.4 in SL; head length (HL) 4.65 (4.7-4.95) in SL. Eye diameter 4.65-4.9 in HL; upper eye overlapping about anterior half of lower eye; interorbital space narrow, the vertical distance separating eyes about three-fourths eye diameter. Caudal peduncle absent. No prominent cirri on ventral edge of head. Lateral line aligned with ventral edge of upper eye. Longest dorsal ray 1.45-1.6 in HL; caudal fin rounded, its length 4.7-4.8 in SL; pelvic fins 2.2-2.4 in HL, the tip of longest ray reaching base of third anal ray. Body on ocular side mottled brown, the scale edges dark brown to black; large irregular blackish blotches, the most prominent comprising 4 below base of dorsal fin, 3 on lateral line, and 2 above posterior half of anal fin (Ref. 57560).