This species is distinguished by having the following characters: moderately elongate body; preanal length less than 40% TL; tip of tail slender and flexible, but not greatly attenuate or filiform; well developed pectoral fin; origin of dorsal slightly behind tip of appressed pectoral fin; segmented dorsal and anal-fin rays; equal jaws, rictus below middle of eye; flange present on upper lip; no papillae or plicae on skin of head; relatively large eyes; posterior nostril at mid-eye level; small teeth, not caniniform nor molariform; uniserial maxillary teeth, mandibular teeth uniserial for most of length (Ref. 76855).