This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: gill rakers on first gill arch, in upper series 15-18 (modally 17), lower series 20-25 (23), total 35-42 (40); gill rakers on second gill arch, upper series 10-13 (11). lower series 18-23 (20), total 29-34 (31); gill rakers on third gill arch, in upper series 8-11 (10), lower series 10-13 (12), total 19-24 (22); gill rakers on fourth gill arch, in upper series 7-10 (8) , lower series 8-11 (10), total 15-20 (18); gill rakers on hind face of third gill arch 3-7 (6); prepelvic scutes 2-6 (4); transverse scales 8 or 9 (8); vertebrae 20-22 (21) + 20-22 (20) = 41-43 (41); with a short maxilla, posterior tip just reaching or slightly beyond anterior border of preopercle, 14.3-17.2% SL (mean 16.0%), 59.8-73.0% HL (68.5%); predorsal scutes absent; no spines on pelvic scute; posterior border of preopercle is convex, rounded; two pairs of dark patches on parietal and occipital regions, without a following pair of dark lines; absence of black spots below eye and lower-jaw tip; short pelvic fin, 5.6-9.2% SL (7.6%), 24.9-36.8% HL (32.5%), the posterior tip not reaching to vertical through dorsal-fin origin when depressed; pectoral fin short, 11.3-13.9% SL (12.8%), 47.0-59.9% HL (54.4%); head short, 21.3-25.1% SL (23.4%); body elongated, 14.6-20.4% SL (17.7%); distances from dorsal-fin origin to pectoral-fin insertion long, 29.9-37.3% SL (34.4%), 123.9-162.6% HL (147.6%); distance between pectoral- and pelvic-fin insertions long, 15.1-20.8% SL (18.9%), 60.6-95.1% HL (81.3%) (Ref. 123745).