A species of Paraglossus as diagnosed by Rennis & Hoese (1985) distinguished from all described species of Paraglossus by the following combination of characters: dark lateral body stripe absent, preopercular pores absent, 100 or more scales in longitudinal series from above pectoral-fin base to base of caudal fin, pectoral-fin rays 19-21, segmented caudal-fin rays 7+6, scales nonimbricate, black caudal spot usually sub-triangular (one specimen with spot roughly rectangular), membrane of first dorsal fin attached to second dorsal fin in males and females, mature males with dorsal-fin spines 3-5 filamentous and about equal in length, fresh males with narrow yellow stripe running dorsolaterally along body from head to caudal fin.