This species is distinguished by the following characters: small, intense, longitudinally elongate, lateral, dark blotch on the anterior part of tail; light organ tubular and externally represented by long black streak covered with scales, extending from immediately in front of anus to chest just posterior to isthmus; underside of head is completely naked except for overlapping scales behind lateral nasal ridges; dorsal surface of snout broadly naked along each side of median rostral ridge; snout long, sharply pointed, its length 74–91% postrostral length (PRL), its dorsal profile gently concave in lateral view; terminal scute long, spearhead shaped, dorsoventrally flattened, with length 16–24% PRL when complete; lateral nasal ridge incompletely supported by nasal bone; anus abutting anal-fin origin; premaxillary teeth small, slender, conical in long, narrow, tapered band, and none distinctly enlarged; posterior margin of the tooth band almost reaching lateral corner of mouth; body scales covered with short, erect, slender spinules in widely divergent rows; spinules in each row completely free from one another, forming comb-like ridge; buttresses of spinules are poorly developed; second dorsal fin distinctly lower than anal fin; upper-jaw length 38–43% PRL; preoral length 65–82% PRL; length of gill slit 21–24% PRL; barbel length 9–14% PRL. Colouration: a slightly diagonal, narrow, dark stripe extending from upper margin of gill opening to below first dorsal-fin midbase or beyond; a faint, diagonal, dark stripe extending from pectoral-fin base to above anal-fin origin; median nasal bone is blackish; underside of head generally pale, without small, blackish, hair-like papillae; lips pale to dusky; front of premaxillary ascending process dusky to dark; oral cavity immaculate; gular and branchiostegal membranes heavily peppered; chest dark; first dorsal fin dusky to dark, with second spinous ray prominently blackish; pelvic fin dusky; pelvic fin heavily peppered (Ref. 123275).