This species is distinguished by the following characters: D 66-74; A 50-57; pelvic rays 4; lateral line on ocular side of head with a ventral branch of 5-7 pored scales, remaining horizontal anterior part with 4-5 pored scales; lateral-line scales to point of branching on head 78-87, including 8-9 anterior to upper end of gill opening; vertebrae 38-40; dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 8-9; body slender, depth 3.0-3.15 in SL; head length 4.0-4.25 in SL; no caudal-peduncle; eye diameter 5.7-8.1 in HL; least vertical interorbital width 11.2-26.0 in HL; scales of body of adults with 8-12 cteni (mostly 9 or 10); longest dorsal ray 1.8-2.15 in HL; caudal fin 3.8-4.3 in SL; origin of pelvic fins adjacent on ventral edge of body, the fins attached posteriorly to base of anal papilla; short pelvic fins, reaching base of first anal ray, 2.7-2.9 in HL; ocular side brown, finely mottled with darker brown, with 3 longitudinal rows of dark brown spots of eye size or smaller, one below dorsal fin, one above anal fin, and one along lateral line; dorsal and anal fins dusky yellowish with the rays more heavily pigmented, some with sections in outer part still darker; basal scaled part of caudal fin colored like body, the rest of fin pale yellowish with scattered faint small dark spots (Ref. 84817).