This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: black longitudinal band that extends along the total length of the paired fins, from the base to tip of the third unbranched and first branched rays on pectorals and first two branched rays on the pelvic fins; bony processes along length of the pectoral-fin rays, dorsally positioned, on mature and immature females and males; teeth on the premaxilla and dentary strongly tricuspid, with three well developed and similar sized cusps; completely perforated lateral-line scales; lack of a conspicuous dark narrow stripe extending from rear of opercle to end of caudal peduncle; lack of 13 or more thin conspicuous black bars from dorsum to ventral portion of body; lack of dark blotches on opercle and preopercle; remnants of bars in maturing and matures specimens slightly concave anteriorly; four series of scales above the lateral line and three or four from the lateral line to the pelvic-fin insertion; and lack of dark spots on the caudal fin (Ref. 138327).