Diagnosis: Characterized by translucent whitish colour with brown speckling and reddish smudge on occipital region; broadly separated spinous and soft portions of dorsal rays, fully connected by membrane, a broader gap between fifth and sixth dorsal spines compared to gap between previous spines; fourth to seventh pectoral-fin rays branched; pelvic fins separated to base with branched rays; 10 cirri on lower edge of gill cover instead of scalloped margin; depth of body 8.5-10.2 times in standard length, head length 3.9-4.3 in standard length; narrow interorbital space, less than half of eye diameter (Ref. 90102).

Description: Snout length, eye to tip of chin, about 3.5 times in head length; front nostril a narrow tube over lip; narrow skinny flap with escalloped edge along above maxilla, one on side of chin to preopercle margin, another along lower opercular margin; with 6-7 flaps on the lower edge of preopercle, 5-6 flaps on lower edge of operculum; mouth oblique, maxilla to below eye, chin very prominent, mouth aperture dorsal; minute teeth in 2-3 series in upper and 1-2 in lower jaw; tongue bilobed, deeply forked (Ref. 404, 90102). Gillopening forward to below preopercle, isthmus narrow; gillrakers 0+9, gillrakers fine points (Ref. 404, 90102). Dorsal fin with 5 spines and 14 soft rays; anal fin with 1 spine and 13 soft rays; pectoral fin with 7-9 rays; pelvic fin with 1 spine and 5 soft rays; dorsal-fin origin 2.0-2.2 times further from caudal-fin base than snout tip, the 5th spiniform ray widely separated, last ray double; anal-fin origin below seventh and eighth dorsal ray, about midway between caudal-fin base and eye, last ray double; all dorsal and anal rays simple; pectoral fin with lobate base, 2 upper rays simple, sometimes lowest also, and end of fin reaches below about second dorsal-fin ray; pelvic fin bases united, the fins separate, all rays bifurcate, 4th and 5th longest, variably subequal, end of fin beyond pectoral apex, to below 3-4th dorsal-fin ray; caudal fin 1.8 times in head length, rounded, middle 8-9 rays branched (Ref. 404).

Colouration: In life translucent, as preserved opaque; occasional specimens with irregular series of fine black dots on back from occiput to caudal (Ref. 404).