A species of Hoplichthys with the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays VI-15; anal fin rays 17; pectoral-fin rays 13 + 3 = 16; short preoptic snout (31.2–32.7% HL); large eyes (23.8–24.7% HL); narrow interorbital width (2.6–4.1% HL); vomer without teeth; long, thin gill rakers; developed spines on ventral surface of lower jaw; single developed spine on each lateral scute; short free pectoral-fin rays (13.4–14.9% SL). In males, low first dorsal fin, its adpressed tips not reaching origin of second dorsal fin; some elongated second dorsal-fin rays filament-like; emarginate caudal fin, its upper edge elongated, filament-like.