This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: a color pattern of 13-26 vertically elongate to circular mid-lateral black blotches (brownish in life) overlayered on a grayish black mid-lateral stripe on a dull white or pale-beige (golden brown in life) body; predorsal color pattern variable consisting of discrete saddles, or combination of saddles and longitudinally elongate anterior most blotches, or two parallel longitudinal stripes, and/or a combination of each; 7-8 discrete sub-dorsal and post-dorsal saddles not contiguous with the mid-lateral stripe, except the posterior most saddle sometimes reaching the stripe; and a short vertical black bar medially occupying the caudal-fin base; dorsal-fin origin nearly opposite to pelvic-fin origin; complete lateral line; short, shallow adipose crest on dorsal and ventral midlines of caudal peduncle; moderately forked caudal fin; axillary pelvic lobe present; prominent processus dentiformes on upper jaw; the chest naked; 9-8 + 8 caudal-fin branched rays; 8½ branched dorsal-fin rays; and no discernible sexual dimorphism (Ref. 137714).