Distinguished by the following characteristics: body buff with 8 broad dark brown bars; blackish brown pelvic fins and distal half of the soft dorsal and anal fins; faint dark band from eye to the middle opercle spine; presence of blackish maxillary streak; minute melanophores covering gill rakers and gill arches; depth of body contained 2.2-2.7 times in SL; head length 2.4-2.5 times in SL; distinctly convex interorbital area, convex dorsal head profile; angular preopercle, enlarged serrae at angle; 0-3 small spines at lower edge of preopecle anterior to angle; distinctly serrate lower edge of subopercle and rear edge of interopercle; convex upper edge of operculum; posterior nostrils 2-3 times larger than anterior nostrils; maxilla reaches to below rear half of eye (Ref. 89707).