This species is distinguished from all its congeners known from Turkey and adjacent areas by the following set of characters: a small black spot in postorbital and suborbital areas, greater than pupil; opercle with 7-17 black spots; body with few or numerous black spots, scattered on the back (missing in the predorsal area), middle portion of flank, sometimes upper and lower halves of the flank; red spots few, ocellated, organized in two or three irregular longitudinal rows on median part of the body, and half of lower part of the flank; usually no black spots on flank in specimens larger than 16.0 cm SL, if red spots are present in specimens larger than about 16.0 cm SL, these are almost covered with black dots; maxilla short and narrow; lateral line 108-118 scales; scale rows between dorsal-fin origin and lateral line 21-25; scale rows between anal-fin origin and lateral line 16-18; scale rows between origin of the adipose fin and lateral line 11-13; gill rakers on outer side of first gill arch 22-24 (Ref. 131247).