Diagnosis: 9-11 anal fin spines and 9-12 soft rays (Ref. 57414, 81650), 15-17 dorsal fin spines (Ref. 81650). Flanks and unpaired fins mottled or bearing 6-8 dark vertical, narrowly separated bars; eye diameter 3-3.5 times into head length (Ref. 57414). Interorbital space wide, 2.9-3.4 times in head length; in adults, subopercle usually serrated and caudal fin squared; caudal peduncle developed; breeding males never marked with orange (Ref. 81650).

Description: body fusiform/oval or elongate; head and snout rounded; 5-19 scales in upper lateral line; 3-11 scales in lower lateral line; 2-4 scales above upper lateral line; 7-9 scales below upper lateral line (Ref. 57414, 81650). Operculum lightly serrated; suboperculum sometimes serrated (Ref. 57141). Interoperculum and preoperculum rarely serrated (Ref. 57414, 81650). 3-9 serrations above opercular notch, none within notch, 1-2 serrations below; 0-12 subopercular serrations (Ref. 81650).

Coloration: flanks and unpaired fins darkly mottled; flanks in adults sometimes divided by narrow pale bars; pelvic fins bear a single medial stripe, and 2 streaks frequently radiated caudally off each eye (Ref. 57414, 81650).