The body is oval and compressed. The head is strongly concave above the eye. The body scales are small, with 22–28 rows between the bases of the pectoral and pelvic fins. The cheeks are scaleless, and the breast, including the isthmus, lacks scales ventrally. There are 24–29 total gill rakers on the first gill arch, and the lateral line terminates below the end of the dorsal fin. In terms of coloration, the back is greenish to brownish, featuring 11–15 dark broken vertical bars and spots that extend to just below the lateral line. There is a black, curved band from the lower margin of the eye to the posterior angle of the lower jaw. The caudal fin is partly yellow, and the dorsal fin membrane is black at the tip of the anterior spines.