This species can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: second dorsal fin usually with 9 soft-rays; first dorsal fin pointed with 3-5 elongate spines in males; pectoral fin usually with 15 soft-rays; caudal-fin length 29-35% of SL in males; premaxillary teeth 33-45 in <50.0 mm SL; 44-47 in ? 50.0 mm SL; white patch behind pectoral-fin base absent in males; nape and posterior half of occipital region always covered by cycloid scales in both sexes; coloration in male usually with 7-11 obscure dusky transverse bars laterally on posterior half of trunk and tail; males sometimes with two broad dusky bars laterally below first and second dorsal-fin bases; black spots on longest pectoral-fin ray 6-12 in male, 0-6 in female (Ref. 94805).