This species is distinguished by the following characters: predorsal midline with 8-9 scales; upper border of the opercle usually with a single row of cycloid scales; cheek scaleless; 11 anterior transverse scales and 9 posterior transverse scales; no elongated dorsal spines, the second and third longest reaching posteriorly only to between dorsal interspace and the base of the second dorsal fin spine; D2 I,9; A I,8; middle rays of the pectoral fin branched; fifth pelvic fin ray branches once dichotomously and is 65-76% the length of the fourth ray, and the basal membrane connecting the inner margins of the fifth pelvic fins rays is less than 20% the length of the fifth ray; an eye-diameter sized black ocellated round spot covering the first to fifth spines of the first dorsal fin is distinctive, also the pupil diameter sized orange spots on the nape, opercle and posterodorsal part of the cheek (Ref. 96671).