This species is distinguished by the following characters: nape and anterior body not highly arched; upper opercular spine divided into two points: pectoral-fin rays 16; lateral-line scales 23; scales in longitudinal series 42, the posterior lacrimal spine single; a broad space present between the eye and the suborbital ridge which have 5 retrorse spines, the interorbital ridges not elevated posteriorly to join the tip of the tympanic spines, a deep subtriangular suborbital pit present; base of the parietal spines curving strongly into the occipital pit, the orbit large (eye diameter 0.62 in snout length/preorbita length, 2.4 in head length); presence of a small, triangular supraocular tentacle; head length 2.3 in SL; first dorsal-fin spine 2.5 in second spine; second anal-fin spine about equal in length to third spine; pectoral-fin of male with a large black spot basally on 8th-10th rays (missing in presumed females) (Ref. 93863).