This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: hind margin of preopercle with two small spines; D 91; A 75; P 27; precaudal vertebrae 13; total vertebrae 53; pseudobranchial filaments 5; long rakers on anterior gill arch 10; head length 23% Sl; pelvic-fin length 34% Sl, fins extending well beyond anus; orbit length 5.5% Sl and 24% hl; longest gill filament 1.3% Sl and 5.7% hl; dorsal fin with two ocelli, larger central ocellus placed just behind vertical line through anus, ocellus spot black, its distance 46% Sl and spot covers 12 dorsal-fin rays, and smaller posterior ocellus placed just behind midpoint of dorsal fin, spot distance 69% Sl and spot covers 7 dorsal-fin rays; both ocellus spots not extending ventrally onto body; absence of vertical bars on body; otolith length 5.9% Sl, sulcus length 4.8% Sl, and ostium height 16% sulcus length and 23% ostium length (Ref. 137826)