This species is distinguished by the following characters: Body disk box-like, not very depressed; eyes directed laterally, not dorsally; interorbital space is very broad (19.7-22.7% SL); illicial cavity with downward-directed triangular opening only visible in ventral view; trilobed esca uniquely with a mass of filaments; ventral surface of the body without tubercles or naked; tubercles on rest of the body surface, including tail, simple except for small, trifid principal tubercle on rostrum, bifurcate tubercles on the disk margin, and bifurcate or trifid subopecular tubercles (weak, not especially enlarged compared to neighboring tubercles); lateral-line neuromasts: body series 9-14, preopercular series 3-5, dorsolateral branch of subopercular series 3-5 (Ref. 127411).