This small species, largest 1.80 cm SL, has the following characteristics: light colored with a depressed head (width 1.4-1.8 into head length and always wider than deep); with a bilobed tongue; pelvic-fin frenum greatly reduced, flat and not raised and turned back (outer margins about one-third pelvic spine length, shorter in center and easily torn), and the pelvic spines not thickened; terminal mouth; chin with a small, slightly curved mental frenum, and no barbels present on underside of head; tips of upper pectoral-fin rays not free; cheeks without prominent vertical fleshy flaps that bear papillae; dorsal-fin origin behind pectoral-fin base; no spines on preopercle; dorsal-fin spines thin and flexible; no dermal crest anterior to first dorsal fin; body scaled forward to pectoral fin; first gill slit open (Ref. 58271).