This species is distinguished by the following characters: second spine of first dorsal fin when adpressed reaching posteriorly to between base of spine and base of 4th ray of the second dorsal fin; some pectoral fin-rays branched; fifth pelvic fin-ray unbranched; with scales in predorsal midline; absence of cheek or opercular scales, total gill rakers 15 or more; cheek with 6 papillae in row c; bony interorbital of less than 55%, the width of the pupil; posterodorsal interorbital trench do not extend laterally beyond 5th papilla of row p. Colouration: cheek and anterior part of head have orange to red spots (light unpigmented areas in preserved specimens) less than pupil-diameter in size; nape and body with a diamond-mesh pattern formed by melanophores thickly lining entire scale pockets (Ref. 123489).