This species is distinguished from its congeners in Turkey and adjacent areas by the following set of characters: size small (with known maximum size 187 mm SL); body brownish in life; one black spot in postorbital and suborbital areas, greater than the pupil; opercle with two to four black spots. approximately smaller than the pupil; body with few black spots (fewer than 60), approximately equal to the pupil, ocellated, scattered on the back and the upper part of the flank (missing in the predorsal area); red spots are few (fewer than 40), smaller than the pupil, irregularly shaped, surrounded by an irregularly shaped narrow ring, organized in two to four irregular longitudinal rows; number of black and red spots not increasing with size; anal fin is short (12-15% SL in males, 12-14 in females), adipose fin large, its height 8-9% SL in males and females, short distance between adipose fin and caudal fin bases (13-14% SL in males,

12-14% in females) (Ref. 131235).