This species of waspfish has the following characters: gill rakers 12-15 (mode 13); posterior

tip of depressed pelvic-fin spine usually not reaching anus; relatively long upper-jaw, its length 16.5-20.1% of SL, mean 18.6%; relatively deep maxilla, its depth 5.8-7.6% of SL, mean 6.4%; longest anal-fin soft ray is relatively short, 21.5-25.9% of SL, mean 24.6%; a large first blotch, narrow and vertically oriented (mean width 12.9% of SL, mean height 24.6% of SL), lateral line running through middle of blotch; relatively large second blotch (mean width 9.6% of SL, mean height 7.9% of SL), located at base of first dorsal-fin soft ray and upper part of blotch extending onto fin membrane; usually with a third blotch on lateral line below soft-rayed portion of dorsal fin; sometimes the second and third blotches are merged together (Ref. 77064).