A species of Meiacanthus (subgenus Meiacanthus) with major portion of dentary gland dorsally positioned and held in place laterally by dorsolateral flange of dentary; dorsal fin IV, 25 or 26; color pattern characterized by a pair of dark mid-lateral stripes that extend onto the caudal-fin base, and another dark stripe along the dorsal body contour and dorsal-fin base that encroaches onto the fin posteriorly; dorsal fin with black submarginal stripe bordered below by pale stripe, which is blue-violet in life and best developed in males. Description. (values for the holotype are given first followed by the range of the paratypes). Dorsal fin IV, 25 (IV, 25–26). Anal fin II, 14 (II, 14–16). Pectoral fin 14-14 (13-13 to 15-15). Caudal fin: procurrent rays 4+4 (4–5+5–6); segmented rays 11, inner rays not elongated or deeply incised. Vertebrae: precaudal 12 + caudal 21 (12–13+21–22). A pair of canines posteriorly in each jaw, those in lower jaw very large with a deep frontal groove; incisor teeth in lower jaw 17 (16–17); in upper jaw 14 (15–16). Lateral line present, terminating below 5th (3–5) dorsal-fin ray; mandibular and posttemporal pores 3; single median supratemporal pore (Ref. 87904).