This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: body slender body; and strongly narrow frontals; mesethmoid short, with anterior tip poorly developed, smaller than 50% of bone length; pectoral spine posterior margin with serrations directed towards spine tip or perpendicularly oriented; infraorbital 2 only in contact with sphenotic; ventral laminar expansion of infraorbital 1 is poorly or moderately developed. Colouration: flank midline covered by small dark brown or black saddles with similar size to remaining markings on body; body with relatively larger, scarcer and more sparsely distributed dark brown or black spots; flank midline without stripe; entire surface of caudal fin with conspicuous dark brown or black spots (Ref. 122129).