Distinguished from other congeners by having the following combination of characters: lower lip fleshy with dense cluster of very short papillae anteriorly, scaly posteriorly (on posterior abdominal part of angular of lower jaws); presence of 10 unobstructed pores on and behind chin (posteriormost 2 sometimes slit-like); maxilla without scales; presence of 4 narrow longitudinal dark stripes (2nd and 3rd stripes most distinct, 2nd from nape to base of mid dorsal-fin soft rays, 3rd from eye to last dorsal-fin ray base) in specimens less than about 10 cm SL, thereafter 2nd and 3rd stripes visible only, remainder and 3rd stripes not present in specimens less than about 20 cm SL, their width below base of 5th and 6th dorsal-fin spines clearly narrower than pupil diameter in 6.5-15.8 cm SL); pored lateral-line scales 41-45; soft rayed portions of dorsal and anal fins somewhat truncated posteriorly and slightly angulated posteriorly, respectively; pelvic-fin tip extending beyond anus but clearly not reaching to base of 1st anal-fin spine when depressed; procumbent spine-like process (tip of 1st pterygiophore) apparent at origin of dorsal-fin but covered by predorsal scales (Ref. 76777).