Body moderately deep and compressed; head large and pointed; teeth caniniform, enlarged, and somewhat crooked, two anterior pairs in each jaw; dorsal fin with 12 spines; posterior rays of anal and dorsal fins forming filamentous lobes; lower branch of first gill arch with 12 to 13 gill rakers; very large individuals blue, with a narrow, yellow, vertical bar immediately behind the posterior edge of the pectoral fin, juveniles red or reddish brown; females with 2 longitudinal black stripes (Ref. 55763).