Diagnosis: dorsal fin with 18-20 spines (17, 21 rare) and 10-12 (9, 13 rare) soft rays; anal fin with 8-9 spines (10 rare) and 10-12 (9, 13 rare) soft rays; 12-15 (mode 14) pectoral fin rays; dorsal profile rounded; snout blunt; body fusiform; pelvic fin clear; frequently an oblong brown bar on caudal peduncle; overall pigmentation usually grey (Ref. 81650).

Description: body typically fusiform, with blunt snout and head; 15-20 scales in upper lateral line, 6-16 in lower; 2-4 scales above upper lateral line, 7-9 below; 2-18 serrations above opercular notch, 0-11 serrations within notch, 2-20 serrations below, 6-20 subopercular serrations, 0-9 interopercular serrations, preopercle entire (Ref. 81650).

Coloration: adults dark brownish grey or grey overall, with up to 9 faint bars on flanks; on caudal peduncle 3-4 of these bars fuse into an oblong stripe, a typical feature of juveniles and young adults, but fading with size; membrane in opercular notch frequently black; pelvic fin always clear and unpaired fins not darkly pigmented; juvenile specimens (up to 40 mm SL) have up to 9 black bars on flanks, each one scale row wide (Ref. 81650).