This species is distinguished by the following characters: Dorsal fin with usually 13 spiny rays, 10 soft rays, with the anterior 4 spines forming a separate lobe; A II,8; P 13; vertebrae 26, with 4 praeopecular spines; vomer with teeth; presence of developed papillae on cheeks, lower surface of the head and on the maxillare plate; isthmus whose apex, by far, does not reach the level of the fifth mandibular pore. This species is represented by a dark morph and a light morph (Ref. 86262).