Distinguished from its congeners by having the following characters: dorsal fins, usually VI-I, 9, male having pointed, but not filamentous, first dorsal fin with elongate spines 4 and 5, posterior tip of fin usually extending to base of soft-rays 2-5 of second dorsal fin; pectoral fin with 15-17 (mode 16) rays; 32-40 premaxillary teeth; dentary with 32-45 horizontal teeth; female with two black longitudinal bands laterally on body arranged with a larger interval between two bands; lower band composed of 8-11 regular blotches, upper band thin and pale; all fins of female usually with faint markings; non-nuptial colored male having a dark brown longitudinal band just below lateral midline; nuptial colored male lacking this band, and having blackish or sometimes orange body, metallic turquoise laterally on head, metallic turquoise spot on upper pectoral-fin base when alive; and male often with 1-6 somewhat obscure black spots on pectoral-fin rays (Ref. 90212).