This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: posterior end of upper jaw rigid, without flexible lamina; D XI, 16-18; anterior dorsal-fin spines very stout and straight, and their distal ends not transversely forked; A II, 17; gill rakers 6 or 7 + 13 or 14 = 20 or 21; vertebrae 10 + 22 = 32; longitudinal scale rows c. 40-50; lateral line terminating below 4th-6th soft ray of dorsal fin; 4th and 5th mandibular pore positions usually included 2 and 6-7 pores, respectively; absence of body scales anterior to vertical below 4th or 5th dorsal-fin spine; vomerine teeth 2; body reddish-brown with 3 or 4 longitudinal rows of c. 8-10 whitish blotches; cheek and opercle with 5 or 6 whitish blotches; snout, suborbital region, and both jaws without blotches or stripes; spinous dorsal fin with ocellus between 2nd to 5th spines; dorsal-fin soft-rayed portion with two reddish-orange stripes; pectoral-fin base with 1 or 2 whitish blotches; and caudal fin uniformly faint orange or reddish-yellow (Ref. 129318).