Diagnosis: dorsal fin with 16-19 spines and 6-8 soft rays; anal fin with 10-12 spines and 7-10 soft rays; subopercle rarely serrated (in adults); caudal fin rounded in adults; caudal peduncle very short; flanks barred, breeding males marked with orange on flanks (Ref. 81650).

Description: one of the smaller species in the genus, adults rarely larger than 45 mm SL; snout blunt; head profile rounded; body fusiform with very short caudal peduncle and rounded fin; 1-9 scales in upper lateral line, 2-7 in lower; 2-3 scales above upper lateral line, 6-7.5 scales below; 1-5 serrations above opercular notch, none within notch, 1 below, no subopercular serrations (rarely 1-3), interopercle and preopercle entire (Ref. 81650).

Coloration: 7-8 dark vertical bars on flanks, each narrower than pale interspaces; bars more pronounced in males than females, and continue onto dorsal and anal fins in males, but not in female or juveniles; interspaces in living specimens usually orange with colour more intense and extensive in males, especially so when breeding; 2 dark streaks radiate from posterior border of orbit; pelvic fins with a single median black stripe; leading edge of pelvics and tips of dorsal and anal rays and spines white; ocellated caudal spot in juveniles up to 25 mm SL, sometimes faintly visible up to 37 mm SL (Ref. 81650).