This species is distinguished by the following characters: D 63-69; A 45-50; in adults the dorsal and anal fin rays are branched, except for about first 20 rays of dorsal fin; caudal rays 18; lateral-line scales 66-72 (including 7 anterior to upper end of gill opening); vertebrae 35-36; dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 11 or 12; body depth 2.7-2.75 in SL; head length 4.05-4.45 in SL; snout length 2.7-3.0 in head length; anterior nostril on ocular side tubular and very long, its length 3.6-4.1 in head length; ventral profile of head nearly straight, with very fine cirri on margin; caudal-peduncle length 13.0-14.5 in head length, its length 2.8-3.9 in SL; colour in alcohol of ocular side of adults light gray-brown, finely mottled with whitish; many scales rimmed posteriorly with dark brown; 2 dark brown blotches slightly larger than eye centered on lateral line, separated by a distance equal to head length; a few lesser dark brown spots on or near lateral line; dorsal and anal fins have translucent membranes and yellowish rays, some with faint small dark spots; caudal fin similar, but with small dark brown spots on basal scaled part of fin; a series of well-spaced, dark blotches of about eye size below base of dorsal fin and above base of anal fin; colour of holotype in life is yellowish gray, the scales narrowly dark-edged; many pale bluish gray spots, some in clusters forming irregular blotches, especially on head and anterior half of body; red from gill filaments showing faintly through operculum; a small white spot on opercular flap; dark blotches as described in preserved specimen; iris of eyes brown with spoke-like yellow lines, the pupil dark green, narrowly rimmed in yellow (Ref. 95111).