This species is distinguished by the following characters: a rigid upper jaw lacking flexible lamina posteriorly, extending 0.4-0.6 eye diameters behind posterior margin of orbit; infraorbitals are relatively robust, the third infraorbital with very large sensory canal openings and moderate suborbital shelf; D X,19-21; A II,18-20; vertebrae 10+19; body with about 35-38 scale rows in horizontal series, no scales anterolaterally forward of

verticals from segmented dorsal-fin rays 5–7; no vomerine teeth; body scale rows pigmented appearing to form a well-defined dark, horizontal rows that are separated by narrow pale interspaces; head and body are with large white blotches, and pale median fins with brown stripe on outer half of spinous dorsal fin and middle of soft dorsal

and anal fins; pectoral-fin base with dark a crescent shaped like a reversed letter “C” that extends from dorsal margin of opercle and curves downward opposite bases of pectoral rays to near ventral margin of fin; iris with dark bars radiating from pupil (Ref. 128653).