This small (4.8-5.6 cm), robust species possess the following combination of characters: upper jaw sexually dimorphic, males' maxilla longer and with two dark stripes on inner lining; 16-17 dorsal-fin soft rays; A III; 81- 94 oblique scale rows in longitudinal series; 22-25 gill rakers on lower limb of first arch; body with 5 wide dusky bars overlain with diffuse spotting; faint, non-ocellated oval blotch in spinous dorsal, between spines 4 and 7; anterior nostril with an unbranched club-shaped cirrus; buccal pigmentation; large orbit, 2.8-3.1 in HL; short head, its length 2.8-3.0 in SL; long upper jaw length, in males 1.3-1.4 and in females 1.7 in HL; 19 caudal vertebrae (Ref. 75633).