This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: D IX,11; A III,12; pectoral-fin rays 13; lateral-line scales 27 (+1 on caudal-fin base); scaleless head; gill rakers 14-17; each jaw with a single pair of large, projecting, and slightly recurved canine teeth anteriorly with the upper pair slightly out-flaring and the lowers curving forward and fitting between uppers when mouth closed; on each side of upper and lower jaws with a short irregular row of 3-9 chisel-like incisiform teeth, no canine posteriorly at corner of mouth; elongate body, depth 4.0-4.3 in SL; moderately compressed, body width 1.8-2.4 in body depth; colour of female IP orangish to reddish to pink, grading to whitish ventrally, the snout yellowish and/or bluish, often with a dark spot at midline tip, no dark mark at front of dorsal fin, median fins yellowish while terminal-phase male with a greenish upper body, bluish lower body, variably tan-pink along dorsal midline, distinctive mid-lateral blue stripe over yellow stripe along side of body; the head green above, blue below, two blue stripes behind eye extending across operculum, snout with a dark to tan band on anterior dorsal midline overlying a blue band and then a green band in front of eye; absence of dark mark at front of dorsal fin; caudal fin is slightly rounded to truncate, with prominent distal black semicircle (Ref. 116679).