Diagnosis: dark spots on pectoral fins; pattern of speckles on body and head; without conspicuous dark bars radiating from the eye; no downward-directed snout; mouth terminal; premaxillary pedicel length <34% head length (Ref. 55922).

Description: outer teeth in jaw stout and unicuspid, sometimes a few bicuspid in larger specimens, and bicuspid in small specimens; inner teeth in jaw stout and (weakly) tricuspid, slightly or strongly recurved in large specimens; 3-4 series of scales on the cheek; lower pharyngeal jaw normal or slightly broad and shallow; pharyngeal teeth widely set, sharp and stout, and occasionally enlarged; gill-rakers normal or short, the largest somewhat flattened but not polyfid; 21-25 scales in upper part of lateral line, 11-16 in lower part; 5-6 scales between pectoral and pelvic fins (Ref. 55922).

Coloration: Live: melanin pattern as in preserved fish; nuptial color pattern overlays the speckled pattern in males, and possibly also in reproductively active females (Ref. 55922). Adult territorial males: characteristic spotted pattern not readily observable; lips green-blue; dorsal, caudal and anal fins blue; dorsal fin with red-orange lappets and white submarginal band; brown maculae and striae pattern not well developed; anal fin yellow/orange distally; pelvic fins dark with white leading edge; less territorial males may have a blue head and yellow body with dark brown spots and speckles, and distal part of anal fin brown-orange (Ref. 55922). Females and immature males: background color white or yellow with many dark brown speckles and spots, to a large extend arranged in rows on dorsal, caudal and anal fin (Ref. 55922). Preserved: speckles and spots on head, body and fins, either as large speckles or giving a more peppered appearance, variable, sometimes difficult to observe; speckles on pectoral fins always present; general body color in both males and females yellow to dark brown; blotches more or less in 5 longitudinal series: 2 dorsal series, 1 midlateral series and 2 ventral series; fins dark brown in larger specimens, camouflaging the speckled pattern except in the pectoral fins; lappets of dorsal fin, trailing edge of pelvic fin and ventral margin of anal fin white; in small specimens the maculae in the caudal fin are clearly arranged in vertical bars (Ref. 55922).