This species is distinguished by the following characters: D 65-74; A50-57; pelvic rays 4; lateral line on ocular side of head with a ventral branch of 5-8 pored scales, remaining horizontal anterior part with 3-5 pored scales; lateral-line scales to point of branching on head 76-88, including 8-10 anterior to upper end of gill opening; vertebrae 39-40; dorsal pterygiophores anterior to fourth neural spine 8-9 (usually 9); body slender, its depth 3.0-3.3 in SL; head length 4.35-4.7 in SL; no caudal-peduncle; eye diameter 5.25-6.9 in HL; least vertical interorbital width 9.9-13.5 in HL; body scales of adults with 8-14 cteni (mostly 10 or 11); longest dorsal ray 1.85-2.1 in HL; caudal fin 4.0-4.4 in SL; origin of pelvic fins adjacent on ventral edge of body, the fins attached posteriorly to base of anal papilla; short pelvic fins, just reaching origin of anal fin, 2.7-3.3 in HL; ocular side finely mottled grey-brown to brown, with 3 longitudinal rows of dark brown spots of eye size or smaller (spots may be within larger pigmented blotches, the three largest on lateral line); dorsal and anal fins dusky yellowish with elongate dark spots paralleling rays; caudal fin pale yellowish with numerous small dark spots (Ref. 84817).