Diagnosis: lachrymal plus four tubular infraorbitals; slight gap between third and fourth tubular infraorbital; snout rounded; soft dorsal and anal fins, and caudal fin usually densely marked with vertically aligned rows of maculae in both sexes, those on caudal fin coalesced and usually forming a series of vertical bands (Ref. 81260).

Description: robust when adult (body depth 29.7-36.2% SL); head length 29.7-37.5% SL; snout short and rounded; predorsal profile smoothly convex, rising steeply over eyes; mouth moderately small; lower jaw inclined slightly upward; ventral body wall rounded to caudal peduncle which is usually deeper than long; upper branch of lateral line high on body, separated from dorsal base at highest point by 1-2 scale rows; 7-8 (rarely 9) tuberculate rakers on lower limb of first arch, 3-5 lanceolate epibranchial rakers; caudal fin rounded in both sexes, upper lobe in males never elongated (Ref. 81260).

Coloration: body grey to light brown, paler ventrally (Ref. 81260). Cheek and opercle pale yellow (Ref. 52307, 81260). Lachrymal stripe usually present; mid-lateral band extending from opercular spot to caudal base, small caudal spot sometimes present; mid-lateral band often replaced by 8-9 small black spots; these spots can have vertical extensions reaching to dorsal base (Ref. 81260). Chest and belly in ripe females rosy to violet (Ref. 81260) with a whitish genital papilla (and surrounding region)(Ref. 52307). Leading edge of pelvic white, rest of fin pale blue; dorsal fin with thin black margin and white submarginal zone; in ripe females white submarginal zone forms a broad silvery white or rosy band; upper half of caudal with black margin and white submargin; soft dorsal and posterior parts of anal in both sexes grey with clear bands of pale blue maculae, always more developed in males than females; caudal fin usually densely marked with vertically aligned rows of maculae, often coalesced and forming a series of vertical bands; anal fin dark violet (males) or pale violet (females); dark scale margins on body scales more defined in males than females (Ref. 81260).