This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: dorsal spines XIV,13-14; anal rays II, 14-15 (usually 15); pectoral rays 16-18 (usually 17); tubed lateralline scales 14-18 (usually 16-17); total gill rakers on first arch 25-29 (rarely 29); body depth 1.9-2.0 (mean 2.0) in SL; scales absent on preorbital and suborbital; lower margin of suborbital series with 8-17 serrae; colour in life highly variable, ranging from brown to pale yellowish, with similar-coloured fins, a dark-brown wedge shaped mark (sometimes absent) on upper pectoral-fin base, orange pectoral-fin axil, small dark spot just anterior to lateral-line origin, and small iridescent blue spot (sometimes absent, especially in large adults) on upper caudal peduncle at base of last dorsal ray, and frequently with 1-2 white blotches on upper back below posterior half of spinous dorsal fin; and juveniles mainly yellow with solid blue nape and anterodorsal part of body, gradually developing separate blue stripes originating on mid-dorsal snout, upper iris of each eye, and across lower eye (Ref. 138626).