This species is distinguished from all other species under the subgenus Doration by the combination of the following set of characters: completely scaled cheeks (or nearly

so); lateral line usually complete; breeding males possess an intense blue mask of pigment completely covering lower face and operculum, snout, lips, underside of head, and

branchiostegal membranes; breeding males with soft dorsal and anal fins dark gray to black with no orange spots on rays or blue pigment in membranes (Ref. 80494).