This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: D XIII,11 (rarely 10 or 12); A II,12 (rarely 13); pectoral-fin rays 15 (14-16); gill rakers on first branchial arch 9-11+20-22 = 29-32; tubed lateral-line scales 13-16 (usually 14-15); preorbital and suborbital scales usually absent, occasionally 1-3 embedded scales present; color of adult generally grayish brown to greenish (sometimes with neon blue/green transverse streak on each scale) with translucent to pale greenish fins, except bright yellow ventrally on head, body, and adjacent anal and pelvic fins, a broad yellow band present from base of first few dorsal-fin spines to outer edge of last dorsal-fin spine; color of juvenile neon blue on head, most of body (above diagonal line from pelvic-fin base to base of uppermost caudal-fin ray), and dorsal fin, remainder of body and adjacent fins are bright yellow (Ref. 116668).