This species is distinguished by the following characters: gill rakers on upper limb of 1st gill arch, 16-21 (modally 18), on lower limb 23-28 (25), total 40-47-51 (42); gill rakers on upper limb of 2nd gill arch 10-14 (13), on lower limb 20-24 (23), total 33-38 (rarely 30, modally 36); gill rakers on upper limb of 3rd gill arch 8-12 (modally 10), on lower limb 12-14 (13), total 20-26 (23); gill rakers on upper limb of 4th gill arch 7-10 (8), on lower limb 9-12 (11), total 16-22 (18); prepelvic scutes 5-7 (6); total vertebrae 38-40 (39); long maxilla, its posterior tip just reaching or slightly short of posterior margin of opercle; predorsal scutes present; pelvic scute without spine; body scales deciduous; posterior border of pre-opercle concave, indented; paired dark patch on parietal area with little following pigmentation; distinct double pigment lines along dorsum posterior to dorsal fin; black spots below eye and on lower-jaw tip absent; anal-fin base long, 19.0-22.3% (20.4%) of SL; orbit rather long, 8.2-9.9% (8.9%) of SL; third dorsal-fin ray short,

15.9-18.6% (17.4%) of SL; pelvic fin rather long, 9.1-11.0% (10.0%) of SL, its posterior

tip usually not reaching to vertical through dorsal-fin origin when depressed in individuals greater than 5.0 cm SL; distance between posterior ends of supramaxilla and maxilla 5.0-6.3% (5.6%) of SL (Ref. 130210).