This species is characterized by the following: D IX,11; A III,11; pectoral rays 14 (rarely 13); 26 lateral line scales; naked head with no small scales on opercle or behind eye; narrow median dorsal zone of nape naked; 7 prepelvic scales, anterior third of chest naked; 3-5 tubule branches on lateral line scales; 11-15 suborbital pores; 19-21 gill rakers; body depth 2.95-3.6 in SL; caudal fin slightly rounded, 1.4-1.45 in HL; preserved color of female pale tan, the scales on upper two-thirds of body, posterior to pectoral fins, with brown centers, those below soft portion of dorsal fin and in lowermost row dark brown; 3 broad dusky bars on chest and abdomen, fading ventrally; opercular flap at upper end of gill opening with a black spot shaped like an inverted comma; usually present behind upper part of orbit is a dark brown spot of near-pupil size; snout with an oblique dusky band; across cheek and opercle is an elongated, dark-edged, horseshoe-shaped band; oblique brown bands on dorsal fin with a small black spot on first membrane and an ocellated black spot between second and fourth dorsal soft rays; small dark spots on caudal fin rays; similar basic color pattern in male, but most markings are darker; no black spot anteriorly on dorsal fin and no oblique bands in spinous portion; base of anal fin with a wavy dark band and a pale spot at base of each membrane. In life, females are mainly pink or lavender-pink, with narrow pale green bands, a bright red stripe on nape, extending below base of spinous portion of dorsal fin, a row of small dark brown spots on side of body above anal fin; males with deep pink and bright green bands on head, with alternating wavy stripes of bright green and purplish red on body (Ref. 83900).