This species is distinguished by the following characters: a bony interorbital width equal to the pupil diameter, predorsal midline with 8-9 scales; unbranched pectoral fin rays 14; an unbranched fifth pelvic fin ray; no basal membrane joining the fifth pelvic fin rays across the midline; usually a single full row of cheek scales; scales on the upper two-thirds of the opercle; when fresh, colouration is diagnostic - a pale translucent dorsum with light yellow blotches and the base of each element of the dorsal fin surrounded by a red spot, a thin red bar along the posterior margins of the hypurals, no dark pigment at all on the hypural region of the peduncle, and a darkly pigmented covering to the dorsal margins of the swim bladder, neural sheath, and the brain (Ref. 87358).