Description: Body deep; head concave to straight; snout elongated, very slender, acute, and with an inclination of 30-45° (Ref. 126507). Jaws iso- to strongly prognathous, i.e., inner teeth in lower jaw in some specimens visible in dorsal view when mouth closed; gape small and with an inclination of 20-40°; maxilla extends to between nostril and anterior margin of orbit; lower jaw very slender, stout, anteriorly deep, posteriorly very deep, and with a rounded outline anteroventrally in lateral view; upper jaw stout, short, with dentigerous arm of premaxilla curving gently downwards, and with a long premaxillary pedicel in comparison to upper jaw length, 82.4-116.3% of upper jaw length; lips lobed with medial parts mostly enlarged and oral mucosa very strongly thickened (Ref. 126507). Neurocranium with relatively deep preorbital region, and with a deep and pyramidical supraoccipital crest (Ref. 126507). Chest scales small; transition to flank scales gradual; scales on longitudinal line 30-34, scales on upper lateral line 19-23, scales on lower lateral line 10-14, scales between dorsal fin and upper lateral line 5-8, scales between upper lateral line and anal fin 10-12, scales around caudal peduncle 16, scales between pectoral and pelvic fins 4-9, infraorbital cheek scales 2-5, postorbital cheek scales 8-10 (Ref. 126507). Outer oral teeth large, stout, relatively few, and deeply embedded in oral mucosa; necks straight, long, and cylindrical; crowns straight to slightly recurved, short, and stout; major cusps bluntly pointed and equilateral to subequilateral; minor cusps, if present, short and blunt; cusp gaps narrow; dental arcades long, acute, and very slender; lateral and posterior outer teeth regularly and closely set with 1/2-1 outer tooth width between adjacent teeth; anterior outer teeth widely and irregularly set on 1-2 outer tooth widths; lateral and posterior teeth with straight implantations and almost completely embedded in oral mucosa; four to eight anteriormost outer teeth in ower jaw large, procumbently implanted on anterior margin of lower jaw, 40-70° to vertical, and in all specimens unicuspid; outer teeth strongly decrease in size laterad, abruptly in lower jaw; lateral outer teeth uni- to weakly bicuspid; in small specimens of less than 80mm standard length often bicuspid; in large specimens of more than 95 mm standard length, 2-3 posteriormost outer teeth in upper jaw enlarged and more stout than adjacent teeth; tooth bands crescent-shaped and relatively slender with 2-4 rows of inner teeth anteriorly that narrow laterad, until only outer rows remain; inner teeth uni- to weakly tricuspid, bluntly pointed, and widely and irregularly set on 1/2-1 outer tooth width from outer rows; inner teeth anteriorly in first row large and stout, while decreasing in size posteriad; no teeth abraded (Ref. 126507). Lower pharyngeal bone triangular and equally deep over entire length; pharyngeal teeth slender with cylindrical to slightly constricted necks, bluntly pointed major cusps, concave major cusp gaps, and blunt minor cusps; teeth in posteriormost transverse row more stout, blunt, and weakly bicuspid; teeth in two median longitudinal rows stout (Ref. 126507). Caudal fin emarginate; dorsal and anal fins reach level between one scale anterior and one scale posterior to caudal fin base; pectoral fins reach level between genital opening and first anal-fin spine; pelvic fins between genital opening and third anal-fin spine (Ref. 126507). All ceratobranchial gill rakers in outer row of first gill arch unifid and short, posteriormost rakers rarely bi- or trifid in large specimens of more than 100 mm standard length; epibranchial gill rakers short and slender (Ref. 126507).

Colouration: Colouration in life of dominant males: body, cheeks, and operculum green to cream yellow; dorsum green; chest dusky; flanks of some specimens with 4-6 very faint and dusky vertical stripes; snout and lower jaw turquoise; lips beige to dusky; nostril, interorbital, supraorbital, and vertical preopercular stripes and nape band faint and ill-defined; pectoral fins hyaline to dusky; pelvic fins black; dorsal and anal fins dusky to black, dorsal fin anteriorly with black lappets, posteriorly with orange-red lappets, and maculated orange-red between branched rays; anal fin dusky wit yellow to orange extensions and 4-7 small orange egg spots, i.e., size of distance between rays, with black borders; caudal fin orange-red to bright red and with dusky base (Ref. 126507). Colouration in life of females and juveniles: body, cheeks, and operculum beige to yellow; dorsum with blue-green sheen; chest and belly white; flanks with 4-6 very faint and dusky vertical stripes; pectoral fins hyaline with yellow sheen; pelvic fins white; dorsal fin dusky and with black lappets and maculated orange between branched rays; caudal fin dusky with yellow to orange extensions and dorsal part faintly maculated; anal fin white and with yellow extensions and 3-5 orange spots that resemble egg spots (Ref. 126507). Colouration in alcohol: dorsum brown, ventral part of body silver-beige; body of dominant males uniformly dusky; flanks of some specimens with faint 4-6 vertical stripes; pectoral fins hyaline; pelvic fins hyaline in females and juveniles, dark in dominant males; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins dusky in all specimens; all with hyaline extensions and anal fin with 4-7 faint egge spots in dominant males; nostril, interorbital, preopercular, and lachrymal stripes and a nape band faint and ill-defined (Ref. 126507).