This species is distinguished from it s congener P mccoskeri in having the following characters: body depth 2.8 in SL (vs. 2.3 in SL); pelvic fin origin posterior to (vs. anterior to) vertical through origin of dorsal fin; pectoral fin when appressed reaching (vs. falling short of) lateral line; pelvic fin when appressed reaching well beyond (vs. falling short of) midpoint between pelvic and anal fin origins; eye and light organ bigger; seventh dorsal-fin spine longer; pseudobranch filaments ca 27 (vs. 38); scale rows along vertical between origin of dorsal fin and lateral line ca. 18 (vs. ca. 30); scale rows along body axis ca. 145 (vs. over 260); enlarged scales 21 at anal fin base (vs. 37 surrounding anal fin base 37); 2-3 rows of irregularly shaped plate-like cycloid scales along outer margin of gill chamber (vs. single row of enlarged cycloid, plate-like scales); 97 (52 on right + 45 at left) enlarged scales along dorsal-fin base and 22 (11 at each side) along anal-fin base; a third row of flat, tooth-plate type gill rakers between the other two rows on each lower limb of second and third arches; number of abdominal scutes 13 (with the 7th not clearly defined); 14 abdominal and 16 caudal vertebrae, including second ural centrum; dorsal fin supported by 21anteroposteriorly expanded pterygiophores (7 spinous, 14 soft ray); one supraneural anterior to the first and second neural spines; supraneural and pterygiophore insertion formula 0/0/1+1/1/1/1/1/1/0/1/1/1/1/1/2/3/3; anal fin supported by 12 anteroposteriorly expanded pterygiophores, first 3 inserting anterior to haemal spine of first caudal (15th) vertebra (Ref. 91770).