Diagnosis: Dorsal fin XII, 16, membrane attached to caudal fin, with deep notch above last spine, first spine almost same or slightly higher than second; anal fin II, 17; pectoral rays 15; pelvic fin I, 4; caudal fin procurrent rays 10-14. Vertebrae 10 + 22. LL, without scales but with scalelike flaps irregularly spaced along anterior part of LL; LL tubes 0-10 (usually 0-8), canal ends on caudal fin base. Lower lip crenulated mesially but plicate laterally. Upper lip crenulae 41-50. Gill rakers 26-30. Cephalic sensory pore complex. Cirri, supraorbital 10-26, nasal 14-42; nuchal 36-47, grouped into 2 that sometimes overlap at midpoint on nape, without nuchal flaps. Head spotted; behind each eye are pupil-sized dark spots; iris yellowish in females, orange in males; ventral surface reddish brown in males, golden brown in females. Body brown with spots, male with spots not reaching to caudal fin base, female spots white becoming lavender posteriorly up to caudal fin base (Ref. 529).