This species is distinguished by the following characters: gill rakers on first gill arch, upper series 20-24 (modally 21), lower series 27-30 (29), total 48-53 (50); gill rakers on second gill arch upper series 14-17 (15), lower series 25-30 (26), total 40-47 (41); gill rakers on third gill arch, upper series 11-13 (12), lower series 13-16 (15), total 24-29 (26); gill rakers on fourth gill arch, upper series 8-10 (8), lower series 10-13 (12), total 19-22 (20); prepelvic scutes 2-5 (4); upper jaw long, its posterior tip slightly short of or just reaching to posterior border of preopercle; predorsal scutes absent; pelvic scute no spine; posterior border of preopercle convex, rounded; parietal and occipital regions with obscure paired dark patches, without following dark lines; no black spots below eye and lower-jaw tip; body relatively elongate, its depth 17.0-20.0% of SL (mean 18.7%); anal-fn base long, its length 20.2-23.3% of SL (21.2%); caudal peduncle relatively short, its length 14.4-18.3% of SL (16.4%); posterior tip of pelvic fin reaching to the second–fifth dorsal-fin ray origin (Ref. 128118).