This species is distinguished by the following characters: D XI-XII,10-16; A III,11-13; pectoral fin rays 15-17; gill rakers on first gill arch 6-9 + 8-12; upper and lower jaws with a single row of 4 incisors on each side, followed by molariform teeth, total of 16-19 in the upper jaw and 12-14 in the lower jaw, with the molariforms of the upper jaw separated from the incisors by a wide gap; in adults, sides of the body with 8 vertical bars of equal width, also present even in large adults, followed by a broad bar on caudal peduncle, which usually nearly reaches the ventral margin of the caudal peduncle (Ref. 110175).