Head and body grayish brown when fresh; iris brown; caudal fin orange with black posterior margin; spinous dorsal fin dark brown. Usually a broad and blackish bar passing from nape, through eye, to pectoral base. Large pelvic rudiment not broadly attached to posterior margin of ventral flap. 1 - 5 spinules on midbody scales, middle spinule longest; scale spinules on posterior half of body becoming progressively more elongate, extremities of those on caudal peduncle of male curving forward; male with scale rugosities developing at about 50 mm SL