This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: vertebrae 11-13 + 38-41 = 49-53; D 77–82, A 64-71, pectoral-fin rays 14, caudal-fin rays 6; anterior dorsal fin ray above vertebra 8-10; anterior anal fin ray below dorsal fin ray 18-21; anterior anal fin ray below vertebra 15–16; head with connected scale patches on cheek, opercle and occiput; papillae on head only between eyes; lateral-line papillae along anterior quarter; spine absent at lower angle of preopercle; posterior mandibular pores 3, lower preopercular pore 1; strong, recurved palatine teeth, in single row; otolith elongate, length to height, 2.4; otolith length to colliculum length, 3.1–3.5 (Ref. 88975).