This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: hind margin of preopercle with two blunt spines; D 98-104; A 85-88; P 26-27; precaudal vertebrae 13; total vertebrae 58-60; pseudobranchial filaments 4; long rakers on anterior gill arch 14-15; head length 21-22% Sl; pelvic-fin length 11-14% Sl, fins not reaching anus; orbit length 4.6-5.1% Sl and 22-24% hl; longest gill filament 0.8-1.4% Sl and 3.7-6.6% hl; dorsal fin with large central ocellus placed well behind vertical line through anus, spot distance 51-54% Sl and spot covers 15-17 dorsal-fin rays and extending ventrally to body covering 5 to 7 vertical-scale rows; dorsal half of ocellus in fresh specimens black, ventral half (extension to body) dark brown, connecting ventrally to brown vertical bar; dorsal fin and body anteriorly of ocellus two to three vertical bars, posteriorly more darkly pigmented; preserved specimens with dark brown, ventrally less conspicuous ocellus, anterior part of lateral line brown, vertical bars on body absent; otolith length 5.1-5.8% Sl, sulcus length 3.6-4.7% Sl, and ostium height 19-21% sulcus length and 28-30% ostium length (Ref. 137826).