This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: no opercular spine; no ribs on last abdominal vertebra; anteriorly projecting teeth on each side of symphysis of lower jaw; narrow tongue; presence of a shallow V-shaped tooth patch on rear two-thirds of tongue; no mustache-like process of maxillary; gill rakers 6+20-22 = 26-28; vertebrae 10+15; pored lateral-line scales 35-37 to end of hypural plus 3 on caudal fin; D fin VII-I,10; pyloric caeca 7 (Ref. 91464).