Diagnosis: depth of body 2.8-3.0 in SL; head length 2.5-2.6 in SL; eye diameter greater than interorbital width, eye diameter 4.6-5.5 in HL; flat interorbital area; rounded preopercle, finely serrate, lower edge fleshy; subopercle and interopercle smooth; convex upper edge of operculum; maxilla scaly, reaching well past eye; lateral-body scales ctenoid, without auxiliary scales (Ref. 89707).

Description: body robust and moderately compressed; caudal peduncle deeper than long; mouth slightly oblique, chin prominent; 1-2 pairs of upper, and 1 pair of well developed lower canines anteriorly in jaws; small ctenoid scales covering bases of soft parts of dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 57293).

Coloration: brown with dark crossbars well visible on posterior part of body, indistinct anteriorly; throat reddish; head with reddish spots enclosed in a more or less hexagonal network of dark lines; black tip of interradial membrane of the dorsal fin; caudal fin pale distally (Ref. 57293).