This species is distinguished and compared from its congener L. multimaculatus by the following characters: in mature males, 3 to 5 of the 6th-10th dorsal spines elongated (vs. none); anterior and posterior nostrils with 3 and 2 cirri, respectively (vs. 2 or 3 on both nostrils); longest posterior nasal cirrus elongate, 68.4-166.7% of orbit diameter (vs. 18.8-100%); in mature males at least, the lower-lip flap is usually separated into anterior and posterior parts (vs. usually continuous); total dorsal-fin rays 31-34 (vs. 29-32); segmented anal-fin rays 21-24 (vs. 19-22); total vertebrae 38-40 (vs. 35-39); spots on cheek absent (vs. small spots present); usually large, dusky brown body spots forming diagonal bands anteriorly (vs. small spots scattered anteriorly); pectoral-fin base with distinct black spot both centrally and dorsally (vs. inconspicuous spots over entire fin base); belly with elongate black spot, from pelvic-fin base to before anus in mature males and females (wider in males) (vs. circular spot just before anus in males only); in males, abdomen becoming reddish (vs. abdomen not reddish); lips never reddish (becoming reddish at least in mature males) (Ref. 76746).