Diagnosis: dorsal fin with 19-21 spines and 9-11 (8 rare) soft rays; anal fin with 9-11 spines and 9-11 (8 rare) soft rays; 12-14 (mode 13) pectoral fin rays; dorsal profile straight; snout acute; body rectangular; pelvic fin lightly pigmented in adults; no oblong bar along caudal peduncle; overall pigmentation usually brown (Ref. 81650).

Description: head and snout relatively acute; dorsal profile flat, with body deepening steadily from snout to maximum depth (approximately at dorsal origin); anal and dorsal fins pointed in both sexes; 13-19 scales in upper, 11-16 in lower lateral line; 2-4 scales above upper lateral line, 7-9 below it; 2-16 serrations above opercular notch, 0-10 serrations within notch, 2-16 serrations below, 2-22 subopercular serrations, 0-11 serrations on interopercle; preopercle rarely serrated (Ref. 81650).

Coloration: body and head of adults dark brown, frequently lighter brown or tan ventrally; flanks sometimes with 8-10 dark bars that do not continue onto unpaired fins and decrease in clarity with maturity; preserved specimens over 100 mm SL may be very dark overall with no apparent barring or counter-shading; adult specimens (> 80 mm SL) have diffuse black pigment in pelvic fins; opercular membrane in opercular notch black; juvenile specimens (up to 40 mm SL) with 8-9 dark bars, each a single scale row wide; juveniles also have a slight concentration of pigment near soft dorsal base, and their pelvic fins are clear (Ref. 81650).