Snout profile straight; anterior nostril pierced on front side of a flap; processus dentiformis present; usually no median notch in upper lip, lower lip with a median incision; lateral line complete; anus about 1-2 eye-diameters in front of anal-fin origin; 8.5 branched dorsal-fin rays; 5.5 branched anal-fin rays; caudal fin emarginate, with 8+8 branched rays; axillary pelvic lobe present; body depth 14.9-16.8 %SL; caudal peduncle length 14.5-16.4 %SL, depth 12.7-13.1 %SL, 1.15-1.30 times in length; top of head dotted; body with 10-13 bars, as wide as or slightly wider than interspaces, somewhat wider anteriorly than posteriorly, quite regularly set although some may be incomplete or fused; black bar at caudal-fin base complete, usually with anterior and posterior projections along dorsal and ventral midlines; dorsal fin with two conspicuous black blotches along base, encircling a paler round area; caudal fin bright red in life (Ref. 36949).