This species is distinguished by the following characters: no pectoral fin; dorsal-fin origin about 0.8-1 HL behind gill opening, predorsal length 16.5-19.1% TL; anus posterior, about 1.5 time of HL behind gill opening, preanal length 23.3-28.6% TL; trunk long, trunk length 14.3-17.7% TL; 2 intermaxillary teeth; upper jaw with 2 irregular rows of small blunt teeth; vomer with 2 or 3 (mainly 3) compound teeth; lower jaw single row of 4 or 5 small compound teeth followed by 1 or 2 irregular rows of small blunt teeth; short cirri on surfaces of chin and jaws; head pores: IO 4, SO 3, M 6 (1 with 7), POP 1, AD1, F 0, ST 0; lateral-line pores are large, prepectoral 5 or 6, total 9-11, the last at slightly beyond the gill opening posteriorly; MVF 18-27-153, total vertebrae 146-156 (Ref. 106136).