Anterior nostril pierced on front side of a flap; processus dentiformis present; no median notch in upper lip, a median incision in lower lip; a median notch in lower jaw; lateral line usually complete; anus about 1-2 eye diameters in front of anal-fin origin; 8.5 branched dorsal-fin rays; 5.5 branched anal-fin rays; caudal fin emarginate, with 9+8 branched rays; axillary pelvic lobe present; top of head vermiculated, sometimes a few dark spots below eye; black bar at caudal-fin base narrow, almost complete, not reaching dorsal and ventral midlines; dorsal-fin base with a black spot at anterior extremity, followed by a round, hyaline (red in life) spot and an elongate, grey blotch; body with 12-16 bars, as wide as or wider than interspaces, very irregularly shaped and set, branched or interrupted, or with paler centre; (Ref. 36949); in some individuals with darker ground color, bars blurred, not contrasted against background or even indistinct; head also darker, with a large bluish black blotch around eye and on cheek (Ref. 43281).