Distinguished from its congeners by the following: bifurcate dermal spines on ventral surface; body surface of disk covered with complex tubercles, 4-7 spines on rostrum, disk edge, and subopercle, trident on tail; 3 lateral lines on preopercle, 6 on subopercle, 2-3 on dorsolateral branch of subopercle, 1-2 on ventral series of body and 8-9 on tail; 18 vertebrae (Ref. 58309).

Description: Similar to H. galatea, H. micropa and H. stellifera in having ventral spines; however, different from these 3 speies in having the bifurcated ventral spines.