This small species of hornshark is distinguished by the following set of characters: the colour

pattern consists of 22 dark bands and saddles; snout with a semicircular dark bar, often bifurcated for most of its length; without dark bar below posterior gill slits extending onto anterior pectoral fin; the anal fin is well separated from caudal fin (anal-caudal space 11.0-13.5% TL); ventral lobe of caudal fin is prominent (lower postventral margin 4.7-6.1% TL); dorsal spines are long with exposed first dorsal spine length 3.9-4.5% TL; dorsal fins are taller in juveniles than in adults; symphyseal and anterior teeth are pointed, lateral teeth molariform with a longitudinal keel; tooth files in upper jaw 20-22, in lower jaw 17-19; total vertebral centra 106-112, precaudal centra 70-76, monospondylous centra 33-37; egg case with narrow, curved, screw-like keels and with 1.5 rotations from anterior to posterior margins (Ref. 129794).