Distinguished by the following characters: 5-8 symphyseal mandibular sensory pores; second dorsal fin spines XIII-XIV; last pleural ribs on vertebral centrum 11, vertebrae 11+ 26 = 37; nape naked (Ref. 9849); black lower half of head; bright blue stripe extending from anterior part of upper lip to preopercular margin through ventral margin of orbit; dorsal fins black distally; central part of pectoral fin base black; entire caudal fin black (Ref. 95023). Description: Dorsal fin III, + XIII-XV + 11; anal fin I, 19-20; pectoral rays 0-1 + 8-9 + 7 = 16-17; pelvic fin I, 2; caudal rays 13, branched 9, procurrent 16-20. Vertebrae 11 + 26 = 37. Mandibular pores 5-8 + 5-8 + 6-8. Gill rakers 7-8 on first arch. In preservative, overall brownish or tan; females paler than males. Orbital with cirrus. Scaleless head, nape, first dorsal fin base, pectoral-fin base, and bell y. LL continuous, pored scales 23-31. Scales ctenoid, largest (double-sized) below lateral line and posterior of pectoral-fin base. In preservative, overall pale yellow, tan or brown, possibly red in life with neon-blue band below the eye, from jaw to opercle, body with 4-5 stripes from dorsal-fin base down to middle depth of body. Male head, chest and pectoral-fin base masked darkly; females uniformly pigmented overall. Fins translucent; dorsal-fin margin dark; pectoral-fin base with triangular spot; caudal fin black in males, but in females translucent with four dark vertical stripes (Ref. 9849, 52308, 90102).