Snout rather narrow, bluntly pointed; terminal scute well-developed; ventral surface of the upper leading margin of the snout, underside of suborbital, mandible, lower edge of the preopercle and gill membranes without scales. Pyloric caeca 23 to 31. Body scales densely covered with conical spinules arranged in parallel to slightly converging rows. Overall color swarthy to medium brown, blackish ventrally, with bluish tinge over the abdomen; oral and gill cavities generally pale but blackish around margin of latter; fins dusky to blackish, first dorsal fin darker distally.