Distinguished from all congeners of Polysteganus by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays XII,10; anal-fin rays III, 8; scales rows between 10th dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line scale 6½; pored lateral line scales 51‒54; snout blunt and broad, its length 2.2‒2.3 times /orbit diameter; bony bulge before and above eye, forming a low median ridge; caudal fin emarginate, nearly truncate if widely spread; mouth large and jaws robust, especially upper jaw; height of posterior end of upper jaw under first two infraorbitals greater than half of orbit diameter (or much greater than pupil diameter); head and body uniform orange-red, dorsally, paler ventrally; all fins uniform reddish orange colour, but membrane of spinous dorsal-fin hyaline reddish orange; rear margin of operculum red; no dark blotch on lateral line below middle dorsal-fin spines, and no blue or cobalt longitudinal lines on body (Ref. 87808).