This small species is distinguished by the following characters: snout relatively long and narrowly rounded to almost pointed; upper anterior teeth are oblique and blade-like, coarsely serrated, with lateral margin deeply notched and with several large and serrated basal cusplets; lower anterior teeth are narrower, slightly oblique, lateral margins notched and usually without large basal serrae, finely serrated; total tooth row counts 27-29/24-30, or 52-59; interdorsal space often without a ridge, 17.9-20.8% TL; first dorsal fin relatively low and not falcate, origin over middle of pectoral-fin inner margin, length 14.3-16.2% TL, 1.4-1.6 times height, inner margin 2.2-2.5 in base; second dorsal fin is much smaller, broadly triangular, height 32-37% of first dorsal-fin height, origin about opposite anal fin origin; anal fin is slightly falcate, height 1.0-1.2 times second dorsal-fin height, base 0.9-1.1 times second dorsal fin base; body colour pale brownish dorsally, whitish ventrally; second dorsal fin with a black blotch on upper third of fin, not extending onto upper surface of body and very well defined from ground colour, while other fins mostly plain; total vertebral counts 123-138; monospondylous precaudal counts 42-48; diplospondylous precaudal counts 20; diplospondylous caudal counts 59-70; precaudal counts 62-68 (Ref. 89954).