Description: (based on 53 specimens): Adult height: 5.3-16.0cm. Rings: 11+36 (33-39). Snout length: 2.2-2.3 (2.0-2.4) in head length. Dorsal fin rays: 17-18 (16-20) covering 2+1 rings. Pectoral fin rays: 17 (16-19). Coronet: low-medium with four or five sharp spines. Spines: well-developed, blunt tipped or quite sharp, usually longer on first, fourth, seventh and eleventh trunk rings and with a regular series of longer spines on tail. Other distinctive characters: single or double cheek spines; males with very strongly developed spines bordering pouch (blunt-tipped); no nose spine (or very small); spine in front of coronet not excessively developed. Color pattern: variable; plain, or pale with darker ‘saddles’ across dorsolateral surface and darker cross-bands on tail.