This species is distinguished from its congeners by having the following characters: a reddish-orange body with a darker red to orange lateral stripe with darker borders on the body which extends anteriorly onto the head, where it bifurcates, and there is a thin longitudinal light stripe below the eye; usually lacks scales in the predorsal midline but when present, are separated from the first dorsal fin by an unscaled area; the second spine of the first dorsal is elongated; dorsal rays 9; anal rays 8; a single branch in the fifth pelvic fin ray; gill rakers on the first gill arch 19-22 (Ref. 87358); characterized further by having longitudinal scale series 23-24; cheek or opercle without scales; depth of body 3.8-4.2 in SL (Ref. 90102).