This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: irregularly arranged large and small tubercles on the lateral surfaces of the body; uniformly dark grey to black body with only a very faint pale mid-dorsal stripe; eye diameter 9-12% HL; interorbital distance 25-31% HL; head length 23.6-27.8% SL; head depth 13.1-15.7% SL; anteromedial striae in TAA absent; short, triangular medial pit in TAA extending about one-fifth TAA length; TAA width 10.1-12.0% SL; 7-14 serrae on posterior margin of pectoral spine; dark nuchal plate; neural spines of vertebrae between dorsal and adipose fins distally expanded; body depth at anus 12.2-16.0% SL; uniformly dark-coloured adipose fin, with pale distal margin; length of adipose-fin base 12.5-17.0% SL; post-adipose distance 13.4-18.9% SL; caudal peduncle depth 6.3-7.6% SL (2.6-3.1 times in its length and 1.8-2.1 times in body depth at anus); and caudal peduncle length 17.8-21.4% SL (Ref. 137779).