| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 13-13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-8; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 5-5. This species have the following characters: lacrymal with 2 spines and low nuchal ridge is without spine; pterotic, posttemporal and humeral have 1 spine each; two convex interorbital ridges with no spines, closest together above the centre of orbit; preopercle with 5 spines, the uppermost is the largest; opercle with 2 ridges, the upper ending in a spine; lower jaw protruding, with a small knob at the symphysis; gill rakers 9-10 + 1; lateral-line scales 22-23; dorsal fin beginning on the level of the posterior end of the pupil; D XIII,8 with the last ray attached to caudal peduncle by a membrane; A III,5 with the last ray attached to caudal peduncle by a membrane; pectoral-fin rays i,10,iii-iv (total 14-15); pelvic-fin I,5. Colouration: head and body light brown, the sides pale brown belly whitish; eye dark grey; peritoneum pale; dorsal fin light brown, membranes of spinous section distally blackish with the soft dorsal transparent, with irregular brown spots arranged in three oblique rows; anal fin pale, the membranes of spinous section distally dark brown, distal one-third of soft section with irregular
brown spots; pectoral fin with a basal brown blotch, an upper central vertical row of dark brown spots, distal one-third brown, with irregularly arranged dark brown spots; pelvic fin distally blackish; caudal fin pale, the upper half with 6 rows of irregularly arranged brown spots, lower half with four such rows, distal one-fourth dark brown (Ref. 122804). |