This species is characterized by the following: dark orobranchial cavity; inclined teeth in the marginal row on the premaxillary are increased in size in the postorbital portion of the bone; presence of teeth on tongue; minute gill rakers usually absent on first gill arch; reduced maxillary (suborbital) photophores disconnected with anteropreopercular photophores; no posteropreopercular photophores and transverse ventral (interventral) photophores; thin cranial roofing bones; short upper jaw, 60.0-71.4% head length (HL), usually less than 66% HL (75% of specimens; mean 65.6%); short pectoral fins, 12.5-21.4% SL, usually less than 16% (88% of specimens; mean 14.9%); group of 4 pores above the second nare; modally 36 vertebrae (Ref. 78617).