This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: moderately deep body, 2.0-2.4 (mean 2·2) times in SL: D XI,11 (rarely XI,10); first soft dorsal-fin ray slightly longer than last dorsal-fin spine; scale rows between fifth dorsal-fin spine base and lateral line 3.5 ; scale rows above lateral line 4.5, scale rows below 11.5; short second anal-fin spine, ordinary [16.7-.20.7% (mean 18.4%) of SL], 1.1-1.3 (mean 1.2) in 2AS/3AS; pored lateral-line scales 42-45 (mode 44); pelvic, anal and caudal fins entirely vivid yellow, caudal fin with a wide black posterior margin; absence of black streaks proximally near anal-fin base on inter-radial membranes between yellow anal-fin rays; black blotches on inter-radial membranes between dorsal-fin rays absent; weak diffuse dark blotch at origin of lateral line (usually covering first pored lateral line scale) continuing as relatively black pigment over upper rear part of opercle (Ref. 93743).