This species is characterized by the following: D IX,12; A III,12; pectoral rays 14; lateral-line scales 27; head naked but nape fully scaled; most scales of straight anterior part of lateral with a middle surface tubule forming 3 short branches ending in a pore, with the middle branch usually longest; suborbital pores 10-13; gill rakers 18-20; body depth 3.15-3.6 in SL; head length (HL) 2.9-3.0 in SL; snout length 2.85-3.25 in HL; dorsal spines progressively longer posteriorly, last 3 subequal, 2.85-3.4 in HL; caudal fin moderately rounded, 1.35-1.5 in HL; upper half of body dark brown, males with 5 narrow pale bars extending from base of dorsal fin; lower half of body pale brown, the centres of scales darker; a dark brown band from upper lip to lower half of orbit, extending posterior to eye, half as broad, to base of opercular flap; 3 narrow dark bars extending dorsally from postorbital band, the first black and vertical, just behind eye, the posterior 2 bands irregular; a boomerang-shaped dark brown band extending posteriorly from behind corner of mouth across cheek; fins are translucent pale yellowish, dorsal with a broad black band across middle of first 2 membranes; rest of fin with longitudinal rows of faint, dark-edged, pale spots (3 per membrane); anal fin with a row of faint, dark-edged, pale spots along base; caudal fin with faint transverse bands; paired fins pale, the pectorals with a triangular black spot dorsally on base, narrowing to a line across remainder of base; peritoneum dark brown (Ref. 85096).