This liopropomin serranid is distinguished by the following set of adult and larval characters: D IX,11; A III, 8; pectoral fin 14-15; in adults - lateral-line scales 46-48, length of first dorsal spine 4.5% SL; margin of spinous dorsal fin shallowly indented posteriorly (fourth spine 9.7-12% SL, fifth spine only slightly shorter than fourth, 8.3-9.3% SL, and sixth-ninth spines approximately subequal, 5.5–8.9% SL); in larvae, second-eighth spines elongate, 57.1-150% SL; body of adults slender, depth at dorsal-fin origin 23% SL and the least caudal-peduncle depth is 13-15% SL. Predominant color of adults when alive is yellow; yellow covering dorsal portion of trunk, in stripe from tip of upper jaw to posterior edge of operculum and in narrower broken stripe from ventral edge of orbit to posterior edge of operculum, on dorsal and caudal fins, and in stripe on anal fin; top of head is dark rose/orange, ventral portions of head and trunk pale rose to white; dorsal and ventral portions of trunk with scattered yellow spots. When preserved in alcohol, the head and trunk uniformly pale, slightly paler on abdomen and throat. Larvae has a conspicuous pattern of orange chromatophores in life on head and trunk, orange pigment on elongate second dorsal-fin spine associated with swellings in sheath covering spine, several orange blotches on anal-fin rays, large blotch of orange pigment covering most of pelvic fin, and melanophores on spinous dorsal fin (Ref. 95863).