This species is distinguished by the following characters: D IX,26-28; A III,25-27; pectoral-fin rays 17; posterior gill rakers 20-22; 16-18 teeth in upper jaw, 18-20 teeth in lower jaw; body depth 1.95-2.0 in SL; snout 4.35-4.74 in SL; large adults' forehead with pronounced convexity; head length 3.45-3.7 in SL; 9th dorsal-fin spine 1.65-1.85 in HL; caudal-spine length 3.85-5.15 in HL; caudal fin is strongly lunate in adults, caudal concavity 3.9-5.6 in SL. Colouration when fresh: lips brown, the upper lip edged narrowly with whitish merging ventrally with distinct white chin band; head brown with numerous distinct, iridescent, blue, wavy stripes, extending as wavy stripes behind and below the opercle; indistinct orangish streak in front of eye extending behind the eye to behind the upper edge of the opercle; iridescent blue stripes present on the base of pectoral fin, outer surface of each pectoral ray iridescent blue with posterior fourth of fin darker brown; body brown with numerous narrow alternating dark and bluish wavy stripes; the dorsal fin with a distinct rust-orange stripe at base; grey caudal spine, its socket is covered with a black oval spot with a whitish border; whitish base of caudal fin, caudal fin with narrow, vertical, light-bluish lines centrally and the longitudinal bluish lines covering upper and lower rays (Ref. 114728).