This species is distinguished by the following characters: moderately long and narrowly rounded snout; upper anterior teeth are oblique and blade-like, coarsely serrated, the lateral margin deeply notched and with several large, smooth basal cusplets; lower anterior teeth are narrower, slightly oblique, lateral margins notched and usually several smooth basal cusplets; total tooth row counts 24-26/22-25, or 46-50; a weak ridge usually present on midline of interdorsal space, 20.4-22.0% TL; moderately tall and slightly falcate first dorsal fin, its origin just anterior to pectoral-fin free rear tip, length 13.4-14.6% TL, 1.3-1.5 times height, inner margin 1.7-2.3 times in base; broadly triangular second dorsal fin, its height 39-48% of first dorsal-fin height, origin about opposite to anal-fin origin; anal fin falcate, height 0.8-1.0 times second dorsal height, base 0.9-1.2 times second dorsal-fin base; colour pale brownish to grey dorsally, whitish ventrally; second dorsal fin with a black blotch on upper one to two thirds of fin, not extending onto upper surface of body and strongly demarcated from ground colour; most other fins have whitish outer margins; total vertebral counts 153-160 in 4 type specimens (Ref. 6184:152-167); precaudal counts 75-79 (Ref. 6184:74-85); precaudal counts - monospondylous 45-48, diplospondylous 27-32; diplospondylous caudal counts 78-81 (Ref. 96342).