This moderately sized species is distinguished by the following characters: D2 I,6-7(usually I,7); A I,6-8 (usually I,7); pectoral rays15-17; segmented caudal rays 16 usually in 9/7 pattern; lateral scales 23-26; transverse scale count 7-9 (usually 8); predorsal scales 6-7; opercle has three rows of large cycloid scales; cheek with nearly always a single cycloid scale right behind eye; shoulder girdle has a thin bony flange; tongue is short; males with teeth in outer row of upper jaw slightly flattened, the tips blunt or rounded, and with two small curved symphyseal canines behind anterior tooth rows; females with outer row teeth of upper jaw that are small, compressed, evenly sized and blunt-tipped. Colouration: scale margins are edged with brown, there are 3-5 small brown elongate small blotches or spots along mid-side of body with posteriormost blotch at midbase of caudal fin, extending onto fin and coalescing the blackish blotch on fin and may form narrow vertical dark bar on fin base; caudal fin is translucent dusky grey with scattered brownish spots near base (Ref. 126575).