Diagnosis: lachrymal plus four tubular infraorbitals; slight gap between third and fourth tubular infraorbital; snout acutely pointed, soft dorsal and anal fins, and caudal fin maculae often present but not usually forming distinct vertical bands on caudal fin; body depth 27.0-36.0% SL; caudal peduncle length 94.6-114.0% of width; tips of anterior pelvic rays of mature females jet black; dorsal, anal and caudal fin maculae present only in males, fins immaculate in females (Ref. 81260).

Description: relatively gracile (body depth 27.0-36.0% SL); head length 31.2-37.8% SL; superficially similar to P. longirostris, but differing in configuration of infraorbital series; also, lower jaw inclined slightly upward and ventral body wall somewhat more rounded to caudal peduncle; caudal peduncle usually deeper than long, occasionally longer than deep; upper branch of lateral line high on body, separated from dorsal base at highest point by 1-1.5 scale rows; 7-8 (rarely 9) tuberculate rakers on lower limb of first arch, 3-5 lanceolate epibranchial rakers; caudal fin rounded in both sexes, upper lobe in males never produced or elongated (Ref. 81260).

Coloration: body grey to light brown, paler ventrally (Ref. 81260). Cheek and opercle brownish grey with blueish flush (Ref. 81260), pale yellow in some individuals (Ref. 52307). Faint lachrymal stripe sometimes visible; opercular spot usually merged with opercular band; dark mid-lateral band often present and terminating at the base of caudal peduncle in a distinct spot; mid-lateral band sometimes replaced, or interrupted, by 5-7 variable-sized black spots (Ref. 81260). Chest and belly in ripe females rosy or violet (Ref. 81260) with a white genital papilla (Ref. 52307). Leading edge of pelvic white, rest of fin pale blue; in mature females tips of anterior pelvic fins jet black forming a distinctive black spot at tip; in males soft dorsal and upper part of caudal with thin black margin and white submargin; dorsal fin of females with a thin black or dark red margin, rest of dorsal with intensive silvery or rosy iridescent flush; soft dorsal, caudal and posterior parts of anal in males gray usually with bands of pale blue maculae, which are normally entirely lacking in females, when occasionally present female maculae are few in number and pale; anal fin violet (males) or yellow (females); body scales with dark margins more strongly marked in males than females (Ref. 81260).