This species is distinguished by the following characters: lower lip with free ventral margin over whole length, the fold narrowing at anterior tip of lower jaw; compressed head and body; elongated body; naked cheek, preoperculum and operculum while most of the body scaled; most scales are cycloid, but with ctenoid patch below pectoral fin and on posterior region of caudal peduncle, imbricate, in 92-97 vertical rows; terminal mouth only slightly protrusible, forming an angle of 27-37° to longitudinal axis of body; maxilla reaching posteriorly to below the middle of eye; head pores are paired laterally, with 4 pores around dorsal margin of each eye; relatively short and rounded snout with length less than eye diameter; anterior nostril at the end of a short tube while posterior nostril a simple pore; head papillae in a transverse pattern; median nuchal crest, formed by very low fold of skin, from first dorsal spine onto head to just above the middle to posterior end of operculum; gill opening is moderate, extending from upper pectoral-fin base ventrally to just below posterior preopercular margin; interorbital about three-quarters diameter of eye; gill rakers on first arch 5+1+10, spatulate and elongate; all rakers are ossified, those on second, third and fourth arches tuberculate, with dorsal spiny projections; D1 VI, D2 I,19; A I,19-20; pectoral-fin rays 20; segmented caudal-fin rays usually 9+8; branched caudal-fin rays 6+5; pelvic fins are separate, each with rays I,4; vertebrae 10+16; branchiostegals 5 (Ref. 83368).