This species is distinguished by the following characters: D XI,9; A III,9; pectoral-fin rays 15; lateral-line scales 15-17 + 4-8; median predorsal scales 4-5; single horizontal scale rows on cheek below eye; gill rakers 11-14 (usually 13); body depth 3.3-4.0 in SL; head length 2.7-3.0 in SL; snout length 3.5-4.5 in HL; dorsal fin more or less uniform height except for elevated pennant comprised of membranous extension between 1st 2 spines, well-developed in mature males, 1.4-2.2 in HL; pelvic fins of male moderately elongate, reaching posteriorly to about base of 1st soft anal-fin ray, 2.6-3.2 in SL; caudal fin rounded; male in life mainly blackish on upper half of body and white below; upper half of head yellow orange; dorsal fin mainly blackish, anal fin scarlet red with row of blue spots at base; pelvic fins scarlet red with black area at base; pectoral fins with prominent black base; female in life yellow orange on upper 2/3 of head, grading to scarlet red on body; lower part of head, breast, and belly white; head and body with 4 narrow, lavender stripes; dorsal fin dusky red, yellowish basally, often with blackish or grey membrane between 1st 2 spines; anal and pelvic fins red-orange to pinkish; pectoral fins translucent with conspicuous yellow base (Ref. 112597).

Description: dorsal-fin rays XI,9; anal-fin rays III,9; all dorsal and anal-fin soft rays branched except 1st (1st dorsal fin ray unbranched in 72% of paratypes, and 1st anal-fin ray unbranched in 56% of paratypes), last dorsal and anal-fin soft ray branched to base; pectoral-fin rays 15, upper 2 unbranched (including rudimentary splint-like uppermost ray); pelvic-fin rays I,5; principal caudal-fin rays 13, uppermost and lowermost rays unbranched; upper and lower procurrent caudal-fin rays 6 (5-6), posteriormost segmented; lateral-line interrupted, pored scales 16 + 7 (15-17 + 4-8); scales above lateral line to origin of dorsal fin 2; scales below lateral line to anus 6; median predorsal scales 4 (4-5); median preventral scales 4 (4-5); single horizontal scale row on cheek; circumpeduncular scales 15 (14-15); gill rakers 11-14; pseudobranchial filaments 12 (10-12); branchiostegal rays 5; total vertebrae 25 (8 specimens); greatest body depth 3.7 (3.3-4.0) in SL; body compressed, width 2.1 (1.7-2.2) in depth; dorsal profile of head nearly straight, becoming slightly convex on nape; head length 3.0 (2.7-3.0) in SL; snout length 3.9 (3.5-4.5) in HL; orbit diameter 4.3 (3.4-4.4) in HL; interorbital width 4.4 (3.8-4.7) in HL; caudal-peduncle depth 2.4 (2.2–2.7) in HL; caudal-peduncle length 2.2 (1.9–2.5) in HL; mouth small, terminal and oblique, maxilla reaching vertical at anterior nostril, upper-jaw length 4.7 (4.3–4.8) in HL; dentition typical of genus with 3 pairs of enlarged canine teeth at front of upper jaw, gradually longer and more laterally recurved proceeding posteriorly; series of about 27-30 small conical teeth medial to anterior canines and continuing on side of jaw; lower jaw with single stout pair of canines anteriorly, protruding obliquely outward and slightly lateral to medial pair of upper jaw; inner series of about 19-20 small conical teeth in lower jaw; tongue short with rounded anterior edge; gill rakers small, longest on 1st arch about 1/3 length of longest gill filaments of holotype; posterior margin of preopercle with about 36 (24-32) tiny serrae (often difficult to detect due to overlying soft tissue); upper posterior edge of preopercle free to level of middle of pupil; anterior ventral edge of preopercle free to below about anterior margin of pupil; anterior nostril very small, in short membranous tube with posterior flap, located anterior to upper edge of eye and closer to eye than to snout tip; aperture of posterior nostril much larger than cephalic sensory pores, with a slightly elevated rim, located posterior and slightly dorsal to anterior nostrilon a vertical with anterior margin of eye; pores of cephalic lateralis system adjacent to eye from behind middle of orbit to below front of orbit 13 (11-14); pores on side of snout anterior to eye 3; pores on posterior and ventral edges of preopercle 9 (7-9), continuing as a series of 4 (3-4) pores on mandible to front of chin; cluster of 4 tiny mid-interorbital pores; pores adjacent to upper edge of eye to above posterior nostril 7 (5-7); pores from upper margin of preopercle to upper rear corner of eye 7 (5-7); and series of 7 (6-8) small pores on side of nape from anterior end of lateral line to front of most anterior predorsal scale; scales cycloid; head scaled except snout, interorbital region, lips, and chin, also broad (maximum width about equal to half width of adjacent cheek scale) naked flange on posterior and ventral edges of preopercle; cheek with single row of large cycloid scales; base of dorsal and anal fins with row of large, pointed, elongate scales, 1 per inter-radial membrane (except 1st and last scale generally covers 2 membranes), tallest slightly more than 1/3 length of adjacent dorsal-fin spines (scales progressively shorter posteriorly on membranes of soft portion of fin); base of caudal fin with 3 enormous scales (middle and largest about 4 times larger than body scales), middle one overlapping those above and below, reaching about 1/2 distance to posterior margin of fin; pectoral fins naked; pelvic fins with a median ventral process of 2 elongate scales, more pointed posterior scale about 3/4 length of pelvic spine and about equal in length to slender axillary scale above each pelvic fin; origin of dorsal fin above 2nd lateral-line scale; dorsal fin mostly uniform height except for elevated pennant comprised of membranous extension between 1st 2 spines, well-developed in mature males and smaller in females; height of dorsal pennant 1.7 (1.4–2.2 and 2.0–3.4 in male vs. female paratypes) in HL; 1st dorsal-fin spine 2.4 (2.3-4.1), 3d dorsal-fin spine 3.1 (3.1-4.2), last dorsal-fin spine 3.0 (2.5-3.4), all in HL; interspinous membranes extending well above spine tips, supported by terminal cirrus projecting dorsally or posteriorly from behind each spine tip, each cirrus 1/2 spine length in adult males and slightly shorter in females; longest (1st or 2nd) dorsal-fin soft ray 2.6 (2.4-3.1) in HL; origin of anal fin vertical with base of penultimate dorsal-fin spine; 1st anal-fin spine 5.0 (5.1-6.7), 2nd anal-fin spine 3.9 (3.5-5.0), 3rd anal-fin spine 3.4 (3.0-4.1), all in HL; penultimate anal-fin soft rays usually longest, 2.4 (2.4-3.1) in HL; caudal fin rounded, 3.6 (3.6-4.3) in SL; 3rd and 4th pectoral-fin rays longest, 1.5 (1.5-1.8) in HL; origin of pelvic fins level with upper pectoral-fin base and origin of dorsal fin; pelvic fins of males moderately elongate, reaching to about base of 1st soft ray of anal fin, 2.8 (2.6-3.2 in male paratypes) in SL; pelvic fins of females shorter, 3.4-5.0 in SL (Ref. 112597).

Coloration: Color of male in life: upper half of body or area above line connecting upper pectoral-fin base and lower caudal-fin base mainly black (sometimes with horizontal row of small blue spots on lower portion of black area), ventral half of head and adjacent lower body white; individual scales marking boundary between black and white zones on body with central black streak, blue margin on dorsal half, and white margin on lower half, resulting in zigzag boundary between black dorsal zone and white ventral zone; upper half of head and snout region yellow-orange, sometimes with thin lavender stripe above eye, on side of snout, and adjacent to lower edge of eye; lips yellow; eye with dusky orange iris and thin yellow ring around pupil; dorsal fin blackish with a blue sheen, including pennant at beginning of fin, with relatively narrow brownish to reddish submarginal zone, (widening on posteriormost portion of fin), and fine whitish outer margin; 2 rows of blue spots on dorsal fin, including 1 along base (1 per fin ray), and 2nd row on outer portion of fin (sometimes faint or absent except on posterior portion of fin); short, oblique blue band usually at base of dorsal-fin pennant; anal fin scarletred (grading posteriorly to dusky brownish red in holotype), with row of relatively large blue spots along base, narrow black submarginal stripe and fine white outer margin; caudal fin dusky brownish with yellow fin rays and scattered blue spots; pelvic fins scarlet-red with black area at base; pectoral fins translucent with prominent black base; fresh specimens exhibit a similar pattern except middle portion of caudal fin bluish (Ref. 112597). Color of female in life: upper 2/3 of head yellow-orange, grading to scarlet-red on body; lower part of head, breast, and belly white; head with 4 narrow, lavender stripes, uppermost extending from just above eye and side of nape to upper edge of caudal peduncle, 2nd from snout tip to front of eye, continued from upper rear edge of eye to below posterior portion of dorsal fin, 3rd from side of snout, continued behind lower rear edge of eye to upper pectoral-fin base, and lowermost in contact with lower edge of eye, extending from mouth to middle of opercle; additionally, rows of small lavender spots or short vertical lines, corresponding with horizontal scale rows frequently present on side of body; eye with red iris and narrow yellow ring around pupil; dorsal fin dusky red, yellowish basally, often with blackish or grey membrane between 1st 2 spines and fine white outer margin; anal fin red-orange to pinkish with fine white outer margin; pelvic fins pale pinkish; pectoral fins translucent with conspicuous yellow base (Ref. 112597). Color of male in alcohol: generally blackish on upper 2/3 of side, more or less abruptly grading to whitish ventrally; upper part of head (above lower edge of eye) pale greyish with slightly diagonal, darker grey stripe immediately below eye and frequently a duller stripe along upper edge of eye; dorsal fin mainly blackish with translucent submarginal stripe and narrow black margin; anal fin semi-translucent whitish (except posterior half mainly blackish on holotype), with row of blackish spots on basal portion; caudal fin dusky greyish, grading to translucent on outermost portion; pelvic fins whitish, except blackish at base; pectoral fins semitranslucent whitish with prominent black band across base (Ref. 112597). Color of female in alcohol: generally yellowish tan, sometimes with faint dark-edged whitish stripe along upper back from above eye to caudal peduncle and another from mid-interorbital to dorsal-fin origin; fins semi-translucent whitish, except membrane between 1st 2 dorsal spines frequently blackish and some specimens with blackish basal stripe on spinous portion of fin; smallest specimens, 38.4-41.8 mm SL, with tiny black spot posteriorly on upper edge of caudal peduncle (Ref. 112597).