Differs from all congeners by having a dark brown background color marked by 8-18 white or pale yellowish bands (or 4-22 dark inter-bands) which in the anterior 1/3 to 2/3 of body are absent or largely restricted to the ventral part of the lateral surface. Further distinguishable from G. anguillaris and other congeners on the basis of several meristic and morphometric characters: absence of a clear or pale patch near the caudal end of the anal fin and presence of one laterosensory canal pores in the preopercular-mandibular series at the dorsoposterior portion of the preopercle; maximum size 16.2 cm TL; precaudal vertebrae 39-43 (mode 41); pectoral-fin rays 12-14; scales above lateral line 6-8 (mode 7); pored lateral-line scales to first ramus 44-61 (median 52); total number of pored lateral-line scales 72-102 (median 86); anal-fin pterygiophore scales 5-7; adult preorbital length 29.3-38.2% HL; adult mouth width 35.2-46.6% HL; adult body width 3.5-5.4 (mean 4.8) % TL (Ref. 52004).