This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: vertebrae 11-12 + 36-37 = 48; dorsal-fin rays 76, anal-fin rays 60-62, pectoral-fin rays 15 or 16, caudal-fin rays 8-9; anterior dorsal fin ray above vertebra 8; anterior anal fin ray below dorsal fin ray 14-15; anterior anal fin ray below vertebra 14; head with continuous scale patches from cheek and opercle to occiput, except for narrow gap between cheek and opercle; papillae few on anterior half of head; forward-curved spine at lower angle of preopercle, hidden by thin skin; posterior mandibular pores 3, lower preopercular pores 1; ver small palatine teeth; elongate otolith, posterior-dorsally expanded, length to height, 2.2; otolith length to colliculum length, 3.5 (Ref. 88975).