Diagnosis: This species is distinguished by the following characters: soft dorsal-fin rays 14 (14-15, mostly 14); pectoral-fin rays 15 (14-15, mostly 15), branched or double-branched except the uppermost; lateral line is complete with 29 tubed scales; oblique rows of scales on cheek 8 (7-8); scales on interorbit reaching almost to posterior nostril; no

scales on maxilla and ventral aspects of head; posterior preopercular margin serrate, the ventral margin is smooth, usually without conspicuous spines; margins of subopercle and interopercle smooth; gill rakers 5 + 12 (4-5 + 11-13); body depth 3.0 (2.7-3.1) in SL; third dorsal spine longest, 1.9 (1.9-2.3) in head; preserved colour pale with nine or 10 oblique dark bars, a faint spot anteriorly on the ventral and the dorsal half of the caudal fin (Ref. 57792).