This species is characterized by the following: elongated body with laterally much compressed, with back strongly arched, and highest at base of first dorsal, depth 4.3-5 times in length; head moderately convex. 3.4-3.65 in length, its depth 1/9 or 0.1 less than its breadth, which is 1.5-1.6 times its own length; eyes are large, lateral but high up, longer than snout , about 3-3,5 times in head, very close together; mouth moderate in size, oblique with lips rather broad and thick, with posterior angle of the maxillary extending back to beneath anterior half of eye or front margin ot the pupil; teeth very slender needlelike in 3 rows in each jaw, inner row excessively minute, while the other 2 rows are rather elongate and nearly uniform in size; body scaled to eyes, scales in caudal peduncle a little smaller, opercles covered with 3-5 large scales. Colouration: when preserved inalcohol, body color whitish to blackish gray with about 4 distinct short, broad, dorsal crossbands and a median lateral row of 4 prominent black spots; tip of opercle with a blakc =