Diagnosed from all other species of the genus Candidia by the following unique combination of characters: dorsal fin with iii,7 rays; anal fin with iii,9-10 rays; pectoral fin with I, 14 rays ; scales on lateral line 46-50; scales above lateral line 9-10; scales below lateral line 3-4; predorsal scales 19-21; gill rakers 2+6 (total 8); pharyngeal teeth always 1,3,5 -4,4,1; shallow ventral keel on the posterior half of region between pelvic fin and anus; cheek with a series of 3-5 nuptial tubercles on cheek and lower jaw in adult males with 5-7 nuptial tubercles; eye large, eye diameter about equal to cheek depth in adult male; body with a uniform broad, longitudinal black stripe from upper opercle, through mid-lateral to caudal fin base; dorsal side dark grayish, a broad silvery white stripe just above the longitudinal black stripe; ventral side silvery-white; dorsal fin pinkish-red with distal transverse black bars in male; and eye with red-black region on dorsal two-third of eye iris (Ref. 79878).