Can be distinguished from its congeners by possessing the following unique combination of characters: body black, dorsum with 7 thin gold bars, side with gold bars complete or interrupted to form black blotches; head dorsum black with fine gold reticulate pattern when alive, when preserved the gold turns cream; absence of secondary rostrum; absence of a postoral pouch; gill slit vertical, subopercular groove absent; a rounded snout when viewed dorsally; presence of sublacrymal groove; abdomen without scales; lateral line with 64 scales; pelvic fin not overlapping anal fin origin, adpressed dorsal fin not overlapping level of anal fin origin (Ref. 57871).