This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: 2 conspicuous vertical black bars across the head, with the first bar from occiput through eye and across cheek to rear end of maxilla. while the second bar is from nape to opercle; colour of dorsal and caudal fins yellow, without dense black margin of dorsal-fin or narrow black edge along rear margin of caudal fin; scale rows from 5th dorsal fin spine to lateral line 5 ½ or 6 ½ ; base of dorsal and anal fins are scaly; naked interorbital area and preopercle flange; along each side of upper jaw with 2 rows of molars, with the outer molar teeth row extending to rear end of both jaws; basal width of incisor teeth (usually 6) at front of upper jaw smaller, 0.7?0.8 mm for 15 cm SL fish and 2.2?2.5 mm for fish of 34 cm SL, respectively; D XI,12?15, no elongated spines; A III,10?11, with the 2nd and 3rd anal-fin spines subequal and not enlarged (Ref. 95256).