Lip margins smooth; females dorsally whitish to light gray and ventrally white with a series of 6 paired black spots (anterior 2 pairs irregular with a row of spots above) on upper side of body, and 1 spot on caudal peduncle, each connected by a gray bar to a lower series; a black line on back at spinous portion of dorsal fin, and 4 pairs of small black spots along base of soft portion; small bluish white spots on posterior half of body, mostly on upper half; narrow black bars ventrally on head angling on to throat; a white line at posterior edge of eye continuing below to upper lip; median fins with blackish margins; posterior part of crest with a narrow pink margin and a broad, submarginal black band; dorsal-fin base with alternating black and whitish blotches; a black spot at midbase of caudal fin; males similar except with darker body; bluish white spots on body generally elliptical; faint oblique black bands on throat; oblique white lines in soft portion of dorsal fin. Last spine of dorsal fin very small; dorsal soft rays usually 19; anal soft ray rarely 19 or 22; middle 6-9 of 14 segmented caudal rays branched; lateral-line pores 5-9 (Ref. 54980).