Diagnosis: The species is distinguished by the following characters: dorsal rays 67-71; anal rays 51; dorsal and anal rays branched except for some anterior rays; dorsal and anal rays branched; lateral-line scales 69-71; vertebrae 35-36; dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 10-11; body depth 2.4-2.6 in SL; head length (HL) 4.45-4.5 in SL; snout short, 2.95-3.15 in HL; eye diameter 4.35-4.45 in HL; interorbital space narrow, 12.4-14.0 in HL; depth of caudal-fin base 1.6-1.7 in HL; longest dorsal ray 1.45-1.5 in HL; caudal-fin length 3.9-4.0 in SL; pelvic-fin length 1.8 in HL, just reaching base of third anal ray; tubular anterior nostril reaches the eyeball when laid back; cirri on front of snout and ventral side of head small; no caudal peduncle; small gap between external base of last dorsal and anal rays and base of adjacent caudal rays (though crossed by a low membrane to caudal-fin base); body color when fresh light yellowish brown, with scattered small dark brown spots and short lines and very large irregular dark brown blotches in three rows, the largest along lateral line (Ref. 57561).