Characterized by having short illicium and high ratio between the lengths of upper and lower forks of the opercle; escal characters: esca with appendage bearing several filaments, two or three of which are stouter than others and darkly pigmented on distal one-third of length in specimens approximately 65mm and larger; anterior appendage internally pigmented in 91-mm specimen; pair of medial escal appendages each consisting of 3 primary branches, giving rise to numerous unpigmented tapering filaments; terminal escal papilla truncated, with distal streak of pigment in specimens 44mm and larger; stout posterior escal appendage bearing from 4-9 tapering filaments; absence of lateral escal appendages; subopercle without indentation on posterodorsal margin; length of ventral fork opercle 27.9-33.0% SL; ratio of lengths of dorsal and ventral forks of opercle 0.57-0.62; absence of epibrachial teeth; presence of teeth on pharyngobranchial II; upper jaw teeth 30-48, lower jaw teeth 30-56; teeth on vomer 4-7; dorsal fin rays 5-6; anal fin rays 4; pectoral fin rays 15-16; head length 34.6-45.4% SL; head depth 40.0-51.1% SL; length of premaxilla 29.5-35.2% SL; length of lower jaw 44.2-52.3% SL; length of illicium 18.7-21.6% SL (Ref. 86949).