Distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: snout strongly curved; head and mid-dorsum as dark as dorsolateral areas; anal and pectoral fins translucent, without conspicuous distal dark margins; scales present along anterodorsal region of body; 6-7 scales above lateral line at mid-body; 159-177 total anal-fin rays; five branchiostegal rays; greatest body depth 9.3-11.4% of length to end of anal fin; snout to anus 58.4-77.6% of length to end of anal fin; pre-pectoral fin length 34.8-41.0% of HL; snout length 57.6-65.4% of HL; head depth at nape 39.7-44.9% of HL; postocular distance 36.9-41.6% of HL; eye diameter 4.1-7.6% of HL; internarial distance 2.7-7.0% of HL; branchial opening 9.5-12.3% of HL; tail length 10.1-17.4% of length to end of anal fin; tail depth 8.3-13.8% of caudal length (Ref. 56955).