This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VI-I, 10 (9 in only one paratype); typical males (11 of 14 males) have elongate and filamentous dorsal spines reaching to anterior 4th to 8th soft rays of second dorsal fin; A I, 13; pectoral rays 17-18; including 13-17 branched rays; pelvic rays I, 4, I (fifth ray absent in 2 paratypes), fifth pelvic ray greatly reduced, averaging 14.1% (7.0%-28.0%) of fourth ray length, well developed pelvic-fin membranes extending beyond base of first branch of each pelvic-fin ray; lateral scale rows 23-25; transverse scale rows 6-8; cephalic sensory pore system complete sensu Lachner & Karnella (1980); genital papillae of males non-fimbriate; body light pink; edge of scale pockets reddish brown or brown; forming network on body; a small round bluish black or dark brown blotch on each side of nape just above opercle; 2 short longitudinal reddish brown or brown lines on cheek; the upper running posteriorly from postero-ventral corner of eye to a point midway between eye and posterior end of opercle, the lower line running from corner of mouth to a vertical line through posterior edge of eye; a short longitudinal reddish or dark brown line on anteroventral part of preopercle, just below the lower line on cheek; 2 short longitudinal reddish brown or brown bars or oval blotches on pectoral-fin base; one each on the dorsal and ventral part (Ref. 76829).