The largest species of Lethrinus distinguished by the following characters: body moderately deep, its depth 2.5-2.7 times in standard length (SL); head length 0.9-1 times in body depth, 2.5-2.8 times in SL; dorsal profile near eye nearly straight or slightly convex; snout moderately short, its length about 1.8-2.4 times in HL, measured without the lip the snout is 0.8-1.1 times in cheek height, its dorsal profile distinctly concave in large individuals and nearly straight in smaller individuals, snout angle relative to upper jaw between 55° and 69°; interorbital space convex; posterior nostril an oblong longitudinal opening, closer to orbit than anterior nostril; eye situated close to or far removed from dorsal profile, its length 2.7-5.2 times in HL; cheek moderately high, its height 2-3.4 times in HL; lateral teeth in jaws conical; outer surface of maxilla smooth or with a longitudinal ridge; D X,9 with 4th or 5th dorsal-fin spine the longest, its length 2.5-3.5 times in body depth; A III,8 with the 3rd, 4th or 5th soft ray usually the longest, its length much longer than length of base of soft-rayed portion of anal fin and 0.8-1.1 times in length of entire anal-fin base; pectoral-fin rays 13; pelvic-fin membranes between rays closest to body with or without dense melanophores; cheek without scales; 46-48 lateral-line scales; 4 ½ scale rows between lateral line and base of middle dorsal-fin spines; 15-18 scale rows in transverse series between origin of anal fin and lateral line; usually 15 rows in lower series of scales around caudal peduncle; 5-8 scales in supratemporal patch; inner surface of pectoral-fin base densely covered with scales; posterior angle of operculum fully scaly. Colour of body brown to dark grey, with indistinct scattered small dark and light spots, with irregular light stripes sometimes on lower sides; head brown or grey, often with many small orange spots on cheeks; pectoral and pelvic fins white to orangish, dorsal and anal fins mottled orange and bluish; caudal fin often bright orange (Ref. 114226).