This species is distinguished by the following characters: enlarged mouth with upper jaw reaching to below posterior half of pupil; broad gill opening, extending forward to below middle of eye; 10-12 lower rakers on outer face of first gill arch, elongate and pointed; 14-15 pectoral fins; 25-26 lateral scales; TRB 8; 8-11 predorsal scales; relatively long and slender caudal peduncle, depth 3.0-3.7 (mean 3.24) in SL; first two dorsal spines prolonged and filamentous, length of second dorsal spine 2.9-4.4 in SL; second dorsal fin elevated, becoming progressively taller posteriorly, the fifth segmented ray of each fin longest, often prolonged and filamentous, 2.0-5.5 in SL; color overall brown with 9 narrow pale greyish bars on body, the first just anterior to dorsal fin origin and last at caudal-fin base; dorsal and anal fins mainly dusky grey with small reddish spots, broad orange submarginal band, and equally wide white margin; caudal fin orange with white upper and lower margin (Ref. 84036).