This species is distinguished by the following characters: dorsal-fin spines 3; body is naked; a funnel-shaped pit at the top of the pectoral-fin axil; lower gill opening well below the lower pectoral-fin base; subopercular spines 2; a single tentacle located above the posterior portion of the eye; no maxillary flaps; anterior nasal tentacle not elongate; dorsal-fin rays usually 20, anal-fin rays usually 16. This species differs from C. dussumieri in having 1 instead of 2 or more tentacles above the eye; differs from both C. occidentalis and C. dussumieri in having yellow-orange fins; differs from C. occidentalis in usually having 16 instead of 15 anal-fin rays and 20 instead of 19 dorsal-fin rays, and in having a slightly smaller (1-2% SL) eye (Ref. 91323).