This species is distinguished by having the following characters: body relatively elongate, laterally compressed. Nostrils on each side of snout close together; lower jaw protruding slightly; premaxillae protrusible and maxilla extending to below middle of eye; both upper and lower jaws with conical teeth; 1 to several enlarged canines on each side of both jaws; vomer and palatines with teeth, those on vomer in a chevron-shaped patch; maxilla with scales,

but without longitudinal ridges. Interorbital region flattened; gill rakers of first gill arch 5-8 + 11-14 = 17-22 (including rudiments; dorsal fin continuous, but spinous portion of fin deeply incised at its junction with soft portion; last soft ray of both dorsal and anal fins produced, longer than next to last ray; caudal fin forked, the lobes relatively short (about 25-30% SL) compared with its congeners; pectoral fins fairly long (in specimens > 19 cm SL), length of pectoral fins about 80-90% of head length, with 15-17 rays; membranes of dorsal and anal fins without scales; tubed lateral-line scales 48-50. Colour: mainly pink to red, becoming white on lower sides and belly (Rfe. 9821).