Diagnosis: body short and globose; mouth large with many small, villiform teeth; skin rough, covered with bifurcate dermal spinules; pectoral-fin lobes attached to sides of body; illicium at most as long as second dorsal-fin spine; large, conspicuous ocellus below dorsal fin on either side of body (Ref. 57225).

Description: filaments of lure distinctly shorter than shaft of illicium; illicium 9.0-13.6% of SL and almost as long as second dorsal-fin spine which is curved backwards and attains 8.0-13.5% of SL; third dorsal-fin spine also curved backwards, attaining 17.5-25.9% of SL; eye diameter 3.9-6.3% of SL (Ref. 57225).

Coloration: highly variable (beige, brown, blackish, yellowish or pinkish) in preserved specimens, with body and fins brown-spotted except on inner side of paired fins; dark ocellus surrounded by bright ring located on either side of body below dorsal-fin base; there may be up to seven irregular-shaped dark spots behind and below insertion points of pectoral-fin lobes; also, up to six round spots on anal fin (Ref. 57225).