This species is distinguished by the following characters: moderately enlarged mouth with upper jaw reaching to below anterior half of pupil; broad gill opening, extending forward to below posterior half of eye; 15 lower rakers on outer face of first gill arch (total rakers 18), elongate and pointed; 13 pectoral fins; 24 lateral scale count; 7 transverse scale count (TRB); 7-8 predorsal scales; relatively long and slender caudal peduncle, depth 2.9-3.1 in SL; first two dorsal spines prolonged and filamentous, length of second dorsal spine 2.4-2.5 in SL; second dorsal fin relatively short and rounded, its height about equal to base of fin and 6.9-9.0 in SL; anal fin with triangular margin, the middle ray longest, forming short filament, its length 3.7-4.5 in SL; color of head and body mainly brown; 5 irregular, narrow whitish bars on side, the first just anterior to first dorsal fin origin and last below posterior margin of second dorsal fin; irregular short whitish bars and spots on caudal peduncle; second dorsal and anal fins with irregular brown and white bands, broad brown submarginal band, and broad white outer margin; caudal fin brown with wavy white bands and white upper and lower margins (Ref. 84036).