This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: trunk rings 11; tail rings 34-35; dorsal fin rays 17-18; pectoral fin rays 16; subdorsal rings 3; subdorsal spines 4, superior trunk ridge ending with 3 enlarged spines, the superior tail ridge commencing with one enlarged spine (3/0,1,0); cleithral ring spines 3, one small spine at each end of pectoral-fin base, none at gill-opening, large single or double spine at ventral extent of head; with 2 small lateral head spines, one directly posterior of eye, one anterodorsally of operculum and ventral of coronet; with a distinct snout spine; no parietal spine or diminutive if present; single eye spine, large and protruding dorsally; small single or double spine, rugose, posteroventrally of eye; the coronet, distinct and tall, protruding anteriorly in juveniles, angled

dorsoposteriorly in adults, and with 5 small spines present on apex in a star-like arrangement;

superior trunk with enlarged spines on first and eigth tail ridges (Ref. 125503).