This species is distinguished by the following characters: pelvic-fin rays 10-11; short snout protruding scarcely beyond upper jaw, its length 26-28% HL, ventral contour almost vertical in

lateral view; underside of the snout broadly naked; ventral surfaces of head scaled posterior to lateral angles of the snout; the mandibular rami mostly scaled; orbit-preopercle distance 39-41% HL; interorbital width 20-22% HL; pelvicfin length 46-54% HL; length of outer gill slit 13-16% HL; the second spinous ray of first dorsal fin is not extremely prolonged (height of fin 80-98% HL); body scales covered with short, greatly reclined, narrowly triangular spinules in tightly packed, convergent rows or densely scattered over the exposed part; tip of the last spinule in each row extending slightly beyond posterior scale margin; middle row of spinules are not enlarged; scales below the second dorsal-fin origin 9-10; presence of cephalic sensory pores along all canals, but barely discernible; absenc of the prominent dark band encircling the trunk; first dorsal fin uniformly dark (Ref. 123356).