Description: Body slender, fusiform, and compressed, deepest at origin of dorsal fin; predorsal profile straight at 30° to horizontal, with shallow kink at interorbit and gentle curve towards dorsal fin (Ref. 123822). Dorsal-fin origin at vertical through posterior edge of operculum, dorsal fin with 14-15 spines and 12-13 rays, spines increase to maximum length over 5-6 spines, spine lappets prominent; soft dorsal pointed behind, not beyond base of caudal fin; caudal fin broad, relatively short, around half the head length, emarginate; anal fin with 3 spines and 9 rays, origin well behind midline and closer to caudal-fin base than tip of snout, below vertical through base of ultimate dorsal spine, soft-rayed section with pointed hind edge, not extending to below base of caudal fin; pectoral fin close behind gill slit, base inclined ventro-lateral on flanks, obtusely pointed, to pelvic extremity; pelvic fins ventral, with strong spine half a length of fin, origin narrowly behind base of pectoral fins, not reaching to anus and anterior base of anal fin (Ref. 123822). Caudal peduncle moderately long, 16-20% of standard length, length 1.4-1.8 times depth (Ref. 123822). Scales small, with around 14 regular rows across flanks; 16 rows around the caudal peduncle, 32-33 in lateral line; upper lateral line gently curved, lower lateral line short but straight; three scale rows between anterior dorsal dn lateral line, two scale rows between soft dorsal and posterior end of upper lateral line; chest scales small, reduced, and irregular; pored scales posterior to lateral line 1-2, cheek scales 5-6 (Ref. 123822). Head elongate, 2.7 times in standard length, 36.6-37.5% of standard length, length greater than body depth, acute and pointed with marginally kinked predorsal profile, extending 30-35° above horizontal; eyes large, horizontal eye diameter 18.5-24.5% of head length, vertical eye diameter 17.7-22.3% of head length, dorso-lateral in anterior half of head, entirely above level of the mouth and at level of dorsal edge of the operculum; snout relatively long, 2-3 times orbit diameter, 35.2-39.6% of head length, nares in mid-snout before orbits; preorbital depth 1.5 times orbit diameter; cheek below and behind orbits deep with 4-5 rows of scales; post-orbit less than half length of head, interorbit sub-equal to orbit diameter, 20.0-21.7% of head length; mouth terminal, large, lower jaw 47.8-52.3% of head length, protractile, angle of closed jaw of holotype 25° below horizontal, posterior premaxilla to below anterior orbit, lips well developed, even along jaws (Ref. 123822). Teeth caniniform, exposed, narrowly spaced in two rows on upper and 2-3 rows on lower jaws (Ref. 123822). First branchial arch with 3-4,1,10-11 gill-rakers; gill opening large, curved from level of eye to midventral below vertical through eye (Ref. 123822).

Colouration: Preserved specimens shades of brown and grey (Ref. 123822). Colouration in life: head with dark interorbital, dark bar from orbit to posterior maxilla and white gular; green-blue highlights and small orange-red spots on cheek, opercle and preopercle; dark opercular spot; ventral head, throat to base of pectorals and belly white; laterally dark grey patch above pectoral base, lower flanks yellow to light green, whitish ventrally, dark olive-grey across dorsum, with single thin lateral band and 8-9 short bars; dark orange-red spots in centre of each scale forming 8-10 rows, green-blue highlights between spots; dorsal fin with membranes between anterior 7-9 spines olive proximally to grey distally; posterior spinous and rayed membranes light olive yellow with rows of dark grey spots, lappets and dorsal edge to tip of soft-rayed bright red with narrow pale blue submarginal band; caudal fin light olive-yellow with dark spots scattered throughout membranes and forming bars, broad light grey margin; anal fin with yellow cast and rows of 2-5 red egg spots along membranes including distal single egg spots over spines, thin charcoal dusted margin along ventral edge; pelvic and pectoral fins clear with feint yellow cast (Ref. 123822).