The fish has a rounded and deep body, with a short and pointed snout. The head profile is steep and nearly straight, and the lateral line is incomplete. The dorsal fin has 12 spines and 25–28 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 20–22 soft rays. In terms of coloration, the head is brown with a prominent white bar extending from the dorsal fin origin to the chest. There is a black bar below the eye, edged anteriorly with white. The snout and chin are black with white markings. The caudal fin is red with a whitish posterior margin and a black submarginal band.