Snout with a massive appearance in lateral view, strongly convex; relatively slender and tapering caudal peduncle, depth 1.5-1.8 times in its length; anterior nostril pierced on front side of a flap; processus dentiformis present; a broad median notch in upper lip, lower lip interrupted medially; lateral line complete; anus about 1-2 eye diameters in front of anal-fin origin; 8.5 branched dorsal-fin rays; 5.5 branched anal-fin rays; caudal fin emarginate, with 9+8 branched rays; axillary pelvic lobe present; body with 7-10 conspicuous, irregularly shaped and spaced bars, about as wide as or thinner than interspaces; a conspicuous black bar at caudal-fin base, sometimes dissociated into a black blotch in lower half of caudal-fin base and a spot at base of uppermost rays; a single black spot at anterior extremity of dorsal-fin base (Ref. 36949).