This species is distinguished by the following characters: small head (8.3-8.8% TL); slender body (depth 1.4-1.6% TL); median groove on ventral side of snout absent; teeth on jaws ad vomer uniserial; dorsal-fin origin posterior to a vertical through the anus, horizontal distance between the origin and the vertical line 83% HL; tail 52-53% TL; trunk 39% TL; vertebrae total 146-149, predorsal 70-72, preanal 63; MVF 71-63-148; lower jaw entirely dark, a patch of melanophores ventrally on branchial basket (Ref. 92890, 104540).