This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the following set of characters: ID pattern1-2-2-2-2; caudal-fin rays 12; vertebrae, abdominal 9 (3 + 6), total 7; hypurals4; D 88, A 72; longitudinal scale rows 76; transverse scale rows 37; scale rows on head posterior to lower orbit 20; an elongate body, with preanal length much longer than body depth (PAL/BD = 1.09); head moderately long (HL = 23.9% of SL), head length slightly shorter than head width (HW/HL = 1.02); postorbital length short (POL = 65.5% of HL); the upper head lobe larger than lower head lobe; dorsal-fin origin at vertical through midpoint of upper eye; predorsal length moderately long (PDL = 20.4% of HL); snout short (SNL = 16.8% of HL), rounded anteriorly; upper eye slightly in advance of lower eye; fleshy ridge well-developed on posterior part of ocular-side lower jaw, with fleshy membrane covering both upper and lower eyes, and membranous fleshy flap continuous between ocular-side anterior nostril and lower part of eye. Colouration: ocular-side pigmentation uniformly yellow to light-brown with dark-brown irregular speckles and blotches while the blind-side pigmentation is uniformly white, with well-developed pepper-dots and dermal melanophores at bases of dorsal and anal fins; bases of anteriormost dorsal- and anal-fin rays with obvious dermal spots on both sides; peritoneum bluish-black (Ref. 126065).