| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 7-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-11; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 10-10. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VI + I,11; A I,10; pectoral-fin rays 16, all rays branched; pelvic-fin rays I,5, fin separated and no frenum, fifth ray unbranched; head length 34.9% of standard length (SL); anterior nostril with a long nasal tube without process from the rim, posterior nostril tube slightly shorter than anterior nasal tube, 0.9 of anterior tube; eye without tentacle above it; posterior angle of jaws ending posteriorly to below anterior edge of the eye; without opercular spine; mental frenum absent; pelvic fin length 23.3% of SL, pelvic fin is shorter than pectoral fin; scales cycloid, along lateral midline tapering from caudal-fin base towards pectoral fin where nearly reaching its base; head canals absent; suborbital rows of papillae with four transverse rows; two distinct preorbital rows s present from posterior nostril to above upper lip; row 3 is short, extending from lower edge of eye ending near row d, row 4 long, curving at eye extending below of level of row d, row b longitudinal, short, close to middle of transverse row 4 and slightly behind vertical at posterior edge of eye, row d discontinuous; with anterior dorsal rows of sensory papillae o and m. Colouration: head and body whitish; with brown line from eye to end of upper lip, dark brown band over eye crossing interorbital area and continuing obliquely from eye to corner of opercle; with a broad dark brown band below first dorsal fin continuing into fin, and vertical dark brown band on caudal-fin base (Ref. 121824). |
