This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: a dark band on lower body from snout, across the lower half of the eye back to the caudal-fin base ending in a semi-circle; larger specimens with pectoral-fin base having a reversed L-shaped row of small black dots; cephalic sensory pore system lacking the PITO and IT pores and the AITO pore enlarged; dorsal/anal fin-ray formula usually 9/9; pectoral-fin rays simple; spinous dorsal elongate or filamentous in both sexes; genital papilla nonfimbriate; in life ventral band jet black, and with purple upper half of body and top of head (Ref. 87726); characterized further by having ctenoid scales, none on head, nape and pectoral fin base; separated pelvic fins, thin membrane joins bases; depth of body 4.1-5.6 in SL (Ref. 90102).