This species is distinguished by the following characters: body color when fresh brown dorsally, 6 U-shaped, dark brown bars, interrupted by a lateral pinkish white stripe from large roundish dark brown spots below; nape colored like body; head whitish, the operculum with 4 close-set, dark-edged, orange bars; 4 blackish bands extending below and anterior to eye, the first 2 crossing the upper lip; ventral part of head with blackish spots; spinous portion of dorsal fin orange-yellow with a large basal black spot, a white margin, and submarginal reddish line; blackish streaks extending into base of soft dorsal fin above dark bars on back with rows of small dark spots above; 2 broad, blackish stripes on caudal fin; a black bar at base of pectoral fin, followed by a pale-edged brown spot; whitish pelvic fins; D V,21; A I,17; pectoral rays 17; 57-58 lateral line scales; gill rakers 4-6 + 8-10; lower jaw projecting, 2-3 pairs of canine teeth anteriorly in upper jaw, 3 in lower; palatine teeth absent; vomerine teeth in a narrow chevron-shaped patch of 2 irregular rows of small pointed incurved teeth; greatest body depth 4.90-5.25 in SL; head length (HL) 3.45-3.55 in SL; orbit diameter 3.65-4.05 in HL; cheek scales small and cycloid (except for a few ctenoid dorsally), progressively smaller nonimbricate and partially embedded ventrally; fourth dorsal spine is the longest, 3.4-4.25 in HL; caudal fin rounded ventrally, truncate dorsally, except for a protruding pointed posterior lobe formed mainly be second and third branched rays; pectoral fins 5.3-5.55 in SL; pelvic fins just reaching anus, 4.15-4.5 in SL (Ref. 79876).