Diagnosis: Dorsal rays VIII,13. Anal rays III,11, the first spine, when detectable is very slender and short. Pectoral rays 15-16 (usually 15). Lateral line scales 26-27. Head naked, except for a small patch of scales dorsally on opercle. Gill rakers 20-23. Body depth 5.9-3.6 in SL; head length (HL) 3.1-3.4 in SL; snout length 8.4-9.8 in SL; caudal peduncle depth 6.2-6.65 in SL; pectoral fins 4.0-4.3 in SL; pelvic fins 6.3-6.9 in SL. The caudal fin is truncate in young individuals, becoming strongly lunate with filamentous lobes in adult males. The initial phase is white with postorbital head and anterior body above pectoral-fin base black with an oblique yellow band above dorsal edge of opercle, a black bar over last 4 or 5 dorsal spines continuing ventrally across body, its posterior edge vertical, and a broader black bar over last 9 soft rays of dorsal fin, across the body, and posterior anal fin; a black spot on first 2 membranes of dorsal fin; the terminal males with yellow partly replacing the white, a salmon pink patch on chin, and blue ventrally on head and chest (Ref. 57555).