This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: rigid upper jaw, without a distinct flexible lamina posteriorly; D XI,11; A II,10; gill rakers 10-11 + 1 + 19-22 = 31-33; scale rows in lateral series 55; vertebral formula 10 + 16 = 26; dorsal-fin interdigitation pattern S/S/1/1+1/1/; lateral-line ends at base of fourth segmented dorsal-fin ray (15th in total rays); head, nape, dorsal-fin base above lateral line, throat, chest, and pectoral-fin base scaleless; upper two preopercular and fifth mandibular pores bipored; vomer edentate; head mottled with small, dark blotches; dorsal fin with eight blotches along its base; distal portion of membrane between dorsal-fin spines white; body with five horizontal, dark stripes; nape with two dark blotches in front of dorsal-fin origin; and caudal fin with five narrow, dark bands (Ref. 133077).