This small species is characterized by the following: snout long and pointed; slender body and tail; alongside each mouth corner is a row of enlarged hyomandibular pores (5-12); upper anterior teeth finely serrated with a single narrow, oblique cusp; distal edge deeply notched and with several cusplets; lower anterior teeth with narrower, similarly oblique cusps; no lateral cusplets; total tooth row counts 23-26/23-25, or 46-50; second dorsal-fin origin well posterior of anal-fin origin, about opposite or just anterior to anal-fin midbase while second dorsal-fin

origin to anal-fin origin 2.2-4.1% TL, 0.4-0.9 times second dorsal-fin base; interdorsal space 20.7-22.7% TL; pelvic fins small, anterior margins 4.4-5.8% TL and 35-42% of pectoral anterior margin; first dorsal fin triangular, with nearly straight posterior margin, free rear tip about opposite pelvic-fin origins, length 14.5-17.6% TL, 1.8-2.4 times height, inner margin 1.9-2.8 in base; second dorsal fin much smaller than first and slightly smaller than anal fin, length 7.5-10.2% TL, base 2.0-3.1 times height; height 21-29% of first dorsal fin height; anal fin height 1.1-1.6 times second dorsal height, base 1.1-1.5 times second dorsal-fin base; total vertebral counts 117-121, monospondylous precaudal counts 33-36, diplospondylous precaudal counts 21-26, diplospondylous caudal counts 56-60, precaudal counts 57-63; colour slate-grey dorsally, whitish ventrally with waterline clearly demarcated along head and body, fins no distinct black markings, pectoral fins and lower caudal lobe with whitish margins (Ref. 84280).