This medium sized (<1 m maximum total length) species is distinguished by the following

set of characters: body relatively slender and head moderately long (20.5-25.1% TL); snout relatively short (horizontal preorbital length 6.4-8.4% TL) and is rounded in dorsal view; the first dorsal is extremely long based (base length 20.8-23.3% TL, soft fin length 16.9-20.2% TL) and relatively high (height 5.7-7.2% TL), the inner margin relatively short (5.3-6.8% TL, 2.6-3.2 in soft fin length); second dorsal fin is much smaller in area to first, similar in height to first dorsal fin (height 1.0-1.3 in first dorsal-fin height); pectoral fins large (anterior margin length 11.0-13.0% TL), free rear tip elongate in larger individuals (2.2-4.0% TL); lateral trunk denticles of larger individuals are sessile (not raised on pedicels), block-like, not elevated; upper teeth of larger individuals with erect to slightly oblique cusps; lower teeth of all sized specimens are much larger than upper teeth, strongly oblique, blade-like; total vertebral centra 112-122; teeth 38-43/29-31 (Ref. 116740).