Description: Head concave and premaxillary pedicel slopes gently, 10-30°; jaws long and isognathous and gape inclination steep, 40-50°; jaws with a unique morphology; lower jaw relatively broad but anteriorly pointed and upper jaw rounded; hence, upper jaw anteriorly broader than lower jaw, rendering anterolateral part of upper jaw visible in ventral view; in small specimens of less than 85 mm standard length, both jaws rounded; in all specimens, maxillae bullate, i.e. posteriorly enlarged and exposed, and extend posteriorly to between verticals through anterior margins of orbita and pupils; lips and oral mucosa firmly thickened (Ref. 127594). Neurocranium of generalised Haplochromis type; supraoccipital crest high and pyramidical (Ref. 127594). Flank scales ctenoid; chest scales smaller than flank scales, size transition gradual; scales in longitudinal series 31-33, upper lateral line scales 20-22, lower lateral line scales 9-13, scales between dorsal fin and upper lateral line 5-6, scales between upper lateral line and anal fin 10-12, scales between pectoral and pelvic fins 5-7, cheek scales 2-3/6-10 (Ref. 127594). All oral teeth very small and deeply embedded in thickened oral mucosa, at most, only tips of outer teeth visible; especially upper lip laterally thickened, covering all teeth; necks slender, cylindrical, slightly recurved, and gradually expanding into crowns; crowns broad, slightly laterally compressed, and stout; outer teeth of small specimens less than 80 mm standard length bicuspid; crowns equilateral, acutely rounded, and with a small flange, i.e. a small, very thin, lateral protrusion on major cusp; minor cusps relatively large and rounded; outer teeth of large specimens of more than 90 mm standard length uni- to weakly bicuspid; both major and minor cusps subequilateral to equilateral, very short, stout, and blunt to rounded; outer teeth in both jaws of all specimens few and reduce in number with size; especially in largest specimens of more than 100 mm standard length, anterior teeth in outer rows missing and empty tooth sockets often absent; outer teeth widely and very irregularly set; inter-tooth distance at least one tooth width; inner teeth small and tricuspid; distinct space of 1-3 tooth widths between inner and outer rows; tooth bands short, e.g. posterior thirds of premaxillae bear no teeth, inner teeth diminish posteriorly, until only outer rows remain (Ref. 127594). Lower pharyngeal bone1.0-1.1 times longer than broad; pharyngeal teeth slender, major cusps acute, cusp gap straight, and minor cusps reduced or absent; teeth posteriorly in two median rows stout with blunt major cusps; posterior edge of bone set with 24-26 enlarged and stout teeth with blunt major cusps and reduced minor cusps (Ref. 127594). Gill rakers on outer row of first gill arch short, slender, unifid, and acute; anteriormost gill rakers very short, posteriormost ceratobranchial gill rakers with a slight anvil-like shape (Ref. 127594). Caudal fin weakly emarginate to almost subtruncate; dorsal and anal fins reach to between a scale length before and past caudal fin base; pectoral fins extend to between anus and second spine of anal fin; pelvic fins extend maximally to first spine of anal fin in females and between first and second spine in males (Ref. 127594).

Colouration: Live colour pattern of mature males: flanks, opercula, and cheeks bright red; dorsal and ventral borders of cheeks and lower jaw blue-green; dorsal part of body, snout, caudal peduncle, and dorsal and pectoral fins green-gold; body whitish ventrally and flanks with 4-5 very faint vertical stripes; dorsal fin with black lappets, i.e. extensions of membranes between spines; anal fin reddish between spines, hyaline between branched rays, and with 2-3 bright-orange small egg spots, i.e. size of distance between adjacent fin rays, with black borders; anterior half of caudal fin black and separated by a vertical, narrow, yellow stripe from hyaline and black-speckled posterior part; eyes whitish and with bright yellow inner rings; lachrymal stripes reduced to spots ventrally of eyes (Ref. 127594). Live colour pattern of females and juveniles: dorsally, body green-gold over its entire length, gradually merging into whitish ventral part; lower jaw and horizontal arms of preopercula blue-green; eyes whitish and with yellow inner rings; pectoral, dorsal, and anal fins hyaline and with yellowish bases; anterior part of caudal fin black, separated by a vertical, narrow, yellow stripe from hyaline, black-speckled posterior part (Ref. 127594). Colour pattern in alcohol: body brownish, flanks of mature males with 4-5 very faint vertical stripes, and anal fin with 2-3 vague egg spots; nape band, interorbital and nostril stripes faint; lachrymal stripes reduced to faint spots ventrally of eyes; dorsal and caudal fins dark, with abrupt transitions to their hyaline posterior extensions (Ref. 127594).