This species is distinguished from its congeners in the Birds Head region by the following characters: D IV-V+I,13-16; A I, 22-25; 35-37 lateral scales; 10 transverse scales; 15-18 anterior scales; 13-19 cheek scales; 18-19 gillrakers; short head length (24.0-25.1% of SL); small eye diameter (6.8-8.0% of SL); longer snout length (8.6-9.3% of SL); wider interorbital width (8.8-9.2% of SL); deeper caudal peduncle (11.7-13.3% of SL); deeper and shorter caudal peduncle length (13.6-15.4% of SL); anterior dorsal length short (47.5-49.9% of SL); first dorsal fin spine length moderately short, 9.7-12.0% of SL; intermediate spine length on second dorsal fin, 7.8-12.2% of SL, and on the anal fin, 7.2-9.8% of SL; moderately long dorsal fin base length, 37.2-41.8% of SL, and second dorsal fin base length, 24.0-28.7% of SL; moderately long anal fin base length, 40.0-43.9% of SL; origin of the dorsal fin lies vertically posterior to the anal origin, between 1st and 3rd anal soft ray; no stripes on the margin of the dorsal and anal fins; absence of sexual dimorphism in contrast to most members of the genus (Ref. 103156).