This species is distinguished by the following characters: D IX,11; A III,11; pectoral rays 12 (including upper rudimentary ray); complete lateral line, angling downward below last 3 or 4 dorsal rays to straight peduncular portion, 27 pored scales (plus 1 on base of caudal fin); anterior lateral-line scales with 2 or 3 (rarely 4) pores; gill rakers 14-17; body depth 2.6-2.9 in SL; head length (HL) 2.95-3.05 in SL; snout short, 3.3-3.7 in HL; upper jaw with 2 pairs of canine teeth, 1st pair straight and strongly projecting anteriorly, 2nd pair about two-thirds as long, with tips recurved and outflaring; lower jaw with a medial pair of long, straight, forward-jutting, canine teeth, each with an adjacent more slender canine about two-thirds as long, with recurved tip; side of jaws with single row of close-set conical teeth, progressively shorter posteriorly; a very large, slender, forward-projecting, canine tooth posteriorly on upper jaw; lower pharyngeal plate with an enormous central molariform tooth, on each side anteriorly with a row of small conical teeth, continuing as a single row on the long anterior process; each of the pair of upper pharyngeal plates with 2 large, nearly square molars, preceded by a patch of small stout conical teeth; orbit diameter 4.25-4.95 in HL; origin of dorsal fin slightly anterior to a vertical at upper end of gill opening; first dorsal spine 4.25-5.25 in HL; remaining spines progressively longer, 9th 3.1-3.25 in HL; 5th or 6th dorsal soft ray longest, 1.9-2.2 in HL; 3rd anal spine longest, 2.45-3.55 in HL; 5th or 6th anal soft ray longest, 1.95-2.2 in HL; caudal fin slightly rounded, 1.2-1.3 in HL; pectoral fins 1.4-1.5 in HL; pelvic fins 1.35-1.8 in HL, usually reaching to or slightly posterior to origin of anal fin in mature males, usually not reaching anus in females (Ref. 93522).