This species is distinguished by the following characters: upper jaw with 2 rows of teeth; no scales on caudal-fin; incomplete lateral line; deep body, red in colour, with a black humeral and dorsal spot, anterior and posterior margined by a light zone. Also characteristic to this species are 6-10 conical to tricuspid teeth on the inner row of the premaxillary; 1-4 conical teeth on the outer row; 5-8 conical to tricuspid teeth on the maxillary; 8 gill rakers on dorsal limb, 13 on ventral; a black dorsal spot converges ventrally to a more or less rounded tip. H. werneri and H. epicharis have similar tooth pattern and a distinct black humeral spot; however, both have a long horizontally extended humeral spot and prolonged dorsal fins in males (vs. a round spot often with small expansions above and below and a short dorsal fin in the H. pando). H. pando differs in having a well developed infraorbital 4 vs. reduced to the laterosensory channel without dermal bones in H. werneri and, white tips of anterior rays of the pelvic and anal fins vs. coloured in H. epicharis (Ref. 82662).