Body red with 9 very narrow silvery white stripes following centers of scale rows, 6 of these extending to caudal base; head red with silvery reflections on operculum scales and an oblique white streak from above the middle of upper jaw to the base corner of the opercle. Five oblique scale rows on cheek; body moderately elongate, depth 2.95-3.25 in SL; head length (HL) 2.7-2.85 in SL; dorsal profile slightly convex; snout length 3.8-4.15 in HL; interorbital width 4.8-5.35 in HL; maxilla reaching from below front of pupil to center of the eye, upper jaw length 2.65-2.9 in HL; premaxillary groove reaching about a vertical at front edge of the orbit; rounded anterior end of nasal bone; medial margin of nasal bone terminating in a short retrorse spine; small nasal fossa without spinules on margin; serrate ridge along the upper edge of suborbital bones, without lateral spine; preopercular spine, 4.8-7.45 in HL; 2 opercular spine, the lower 1/2-3/4 length of the upper spine; 3rd to 5th dorsal spines longest, 1.95-2.35 in HL; 3rd anal spine 1.2-1.5 in HL (Ref. 27370).