This species is distinguished by the following characters: adults with a moderately deep interorbital trench and a shallow groove behind the upper half of the eye, largely disappearing below the papilla at the posterodorsal margin of the eye; predorsal is almost completely covered with ctenoid scales, with 3-6 rows crossing the midline anteriorly to just behind the interorbital trench, anterior-most scale on the midline just behind a small naked patch posterior to the eyes, the scale not larger than the second scale on the midline; no scales on opercle and preopercle; pectoral-fin base is covered with 5-6 large cycloid scales, lowermost 3-4 scales smaller than upper two scales; prepelvic area with a small scale covering basal membrane between the two fins and followed anteriorly by a large scale between the bases of fins, and 3 rows of large cycloid scales anteriorly; central pectoral rays are branched; pelvic fins are widely separate, connected only at their bases, the distance between the bases of the fins about three-quarters to equal to the base of each pelvic fin; the fifth pelvic ray is usually unbranched, rarely with a single branch (2 terminal tips); fifth ray 60-80% the length of the fourth; the second dorsal spine usually longest, elongated into a long filament in adult males, reaching to beyond the end of the second dorsal fin, while females sometimes with a short filament reaching to above the anterior rays of the second dorsal fin; the third spine sometimes a short filament; D2 usually I 9 and anal rays usually I 8; below the eye are two distinct round red to reddish-orange spots; the branchiostegal membranes with distinct bright reddish-orange spots; body possess small yellow to red spots in 4-5 irregular rows anteriorly and three rows on the caudal peduncle (Ref. 100726).