This species is distinguished by the following characters: teeth villiform and angle between dentaries usually larger than 80° (vs. spoon-or shovel-shaped teeth and angle between dentaries about 80°); no keels on lateral series of plates, moderate keel along dorsal series of plates; short unbranched caudal fin rays, with ventral unbranched caudal-fin ray similar in length to head length; one plate bordering supraoccipital; number of teeth 10-61; anterior portion of abdomen totally covered by platelets; pectoral-fin spine clearly longer than pelvic-fin spine; no hypertrophied odontodes along dorsal and mid-dorsal series of plates; plates on lateral series 24-27. Colouration: dark blotches on a clearer background; dark stripe margining dorsal-fin branched rays anteriorly; usually two rows of blotches per interradial membrane on dorsal, pectoral and ventral fins; caudal fin with dark blotches; juveniles with dark blotches on flanks (Ref. 123771).