The preorbital bone is broad, measuring about twice the diameter of the eye. Vomerine teeth, located on the roof of the mouth, form a V-shaped patch without a posterior extension. The tongue is toothless, and scale rows on the back rise obliquely above the lateral line. In adults, the lips are notably thickened, and there are 17–18 gill rakers on the first gill arch. The coloration is generally brown with a reddish tinge, featuring each scale on the side bordered by a pale brown edge and 2–3 small bluish-white spots in the center. Juveniles exhibit a series of 3–8 brown bars on the sides, along with a chalky white spot having a broad blackish margin located below the anterior soft dorsal fin rays.