Differs from its congeners by the mouth isognathous or prognathous (vs. hypognathous); infraorbital 2 rectangular, completely serrated ventrally (vs. irregularly shaped, smooth or partially serrated ventrally); palatine with long dentigerous process (vs. short dentigerous process); dentigerous arm of premaxilla about 2.5 times height of ascending process (vs. about 2 times or less that height); small process for insertion of ligamentum primordium on maxilla; long coronoid process, reaching posteriorly the level of the posterior border of dentary (vs. not reaching posterior border of dentary); long anguloarticular bone, with well-developed, posterodorsally directed postarticular process and mandibular sensory canal completely enclosed in bone, hyoid artery in a groove on posterior surface of dorsal hypohyal ( vs. hyoid artery piercing dorsal hypohyal); dorsal border of anterior ceratohyal only smoothly concave. Differs further by the following combination of characters: quadrate-mandibular articulation just behind orbit; posterior border of maxilla reaching middle of orbit or further backwards, at posterior half of infraorbital 2 or further backwards; 3 predorsal bones; one supernumerary spine on first dorsal pterygiophore (rarely none); 3rd or 4th dorsal fin spine the longest; 7-9 trisegmented pterygiophores in dorsal fin; upper jaw length 130-160% snout length and 35-45% HL; head length 30-38% SL; pectoral and pelvic fins of similar length, being 45-60% HL and 55-75% body depth; 14-17 pectoral fin rays; 8-11 anal fin rays; 45-49 caudal fin rays; procurrent spur present (Ref. 55324).