Body is red with silvery red stripes overlaid with blue iridescence; spinous portion of dorsal fin red with white-tipped spines and a white blotch in the middle of each membrane; leading edges of pelvic and anal spines white (Ref. 2334). Five oblique scale rows on cheek; body depth 2.6-2.95 in SL; head length (HL) 2.6-2.9 in SL; snout often shorter than orbit diameter, its length 3.6-3.9 in HL; interorbital width 5.05-5.85 in HL; maxilla extending posteriorly from center of eye to below rear edge of the pupil, upper jaw length 2.2-2.3 in HL; premaxillary groove usually reaching to a vertical at front edge of the orbit; anterior end of nasal bone with 2 short diverging spines; medial margin of nasal bone spineless; large nasal fossa without spinules on margin; slight ridge along the upper edge of suborbital bones with low recumbent spinules in young, becoming smooth in adults, at least below the anterior half of orbit; opercle with 2 large subequal opercular spines; preopercular spine, 3.6-5.2 in HL; short dorsal spines, 3rd to 5th subequal, 4th dorsal spine usually longest, 2.6-3.5 in HL; 3rd anal spine 1.5-2.3 in HL (Ref. 27370).