Body brownish orange above, with 8 faint darker saddle blotches; white below, with 8 brownish orange blotches; orange tear mark below eye (Ref. 5401). Adults may be deep pink with yellow, but may look drab in deep water (Ref. 48636). A triangular brown bar below eye, and side of snout broadly dusky. A broad zone of small dark brown spots from nape and occiput to posterior part of operculum. A dark brown spot at base of each soft ray of dorsal fin. Body not elongate, its depth 4.85 to 5.1 times in SL. Eye not large, 3.5 to 3.8 times in head length (Ref 42740).