Head with massive appearance, lateral length 3.4-3.8 times in SL; anterior nostril pierced on front side of a flap; processus dentiformis present; no median notch in upper lip, lower lip interrupted medially; dorsal keel on caudal peduncle; lateral line complete; anus about 1-2 eye diameters in front of anal-fin origin; 8.5 branched dorsal-fin rays; 5.5 branched anal-fin rays; caudal fin emarginate, with 9+8 branched rays; axillary pelvic lobe reduced or missing; top of head with a few large spots; body with 6-9 brown bars, wider than or as wide as interspaces, wider anteriorly than posteriorly; along lateral line, a series of faint blackish blotches more or less corresponding and superimposed to bars; black bar of caudal-fin base either almost complete or, often, dissociated into two blotches, a slightly oblique one along base of upper rays and a vertical and somewhat longer one on lower two-thirds of fin base (Ref. 36949).