This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: upper jaw rather long, 20.8-22.3% SL (mean 21.3%), with posterior tip slightly short of or just reaching posterior margin of opercle; snout short, 3.6-3.9% SL (mean 3.8%) without predorsal scute; pelvic scute no spine; gill rakers on first gill arch, 16-18 (mode 17) in upper series, 21-23 (22) in lower series, 38-41 (40) in total; gill rakers on second gill arch 10-13 (12) in upper series, 18-21 (20) in lower series, 30-33 (31) in total; gill rakers on third gill arch 8-9 (9) in upper series, 11-13 (12) in lower series, 19-22 (21) in total; gill rakers on fourth gill arch 7-8 (8) in upper series, 9-11 (10) in lower, 16-18 (18) in total; gill rakers of third gill arch 4-6 (5) on hind face; prepelvic scutes 4-6 (6); transverse scales 8; pseudobranchial filaments 17-23 (20); paired dark patches present on parietal and occipital regions; without dark lines on dorsum; with numerous black spots on suborbital area (in adults), snout and tip of lower jaw; head is rather short, 23.9-25.5% SL (mean 24.6%); pelvic fin is relatively long, 8.1-9.4% SL (8.8%), depressed pelvic fin do not usually reach posteriorly to vertical through dorsal-fin origin; D-P1 distance 32.8-36.5% SL (35.1%), 133.9-151.8% HL (143.0%) (Ref. 121596).