Light orange-red body, with a narrow darker red stripe running between longitudinal scale rows; spinous dorsal fin red, spine tips and adjacent membranes white, a blackish blotch on first and second membranes and whitish blotch in the middle of each membrane and adjacent to preceding spine. Four oblique rows of scales on cheek. Body depth 2.6-2.75 in SL; head length 2.5-2.65 in SL; snout length 4.6-4.9 in head length; interorbital width 5.15-5.35 in head length. Mouth slightly inferior. Maxilla nearly reaching or just to a vertical at rear edge of the pupil, upper jaw length 2.4-2.55 in head length; premaxillary groove extending to or slightly posterior to a vertical at anterior edge of orbit; anterior end of nasal bone terminating in 2 diverging spines or a single spine that projects laterally; surface and posterior edge of nasal bone without spinules; small nasal fossa, posterior edge with 1 or 2 large spinules, the anterior edge with 0 to 1; upper edge of suborbital bones with serrated ridge, preceded by a posterolaterally projecting short spine; preopercular spine, 2/3 times in orbit diameter, 3.6-4.3 in head length; longest 4th dorsal spines, 2.2-2.9 in head length; third anal spine 1.45-1.65 in head length (Ref. 27370).