The body is disc-shaped and strongly compressed, with an angular dorsal profile and a semicircular ventral profile. The body depth is more than twice the head length. The mouth is small and oblique, with an upper jaw that is protrusible. There are bands of small teeth on the jaws, but none on the vomer or palatines. The first gill arch has 17 to 19 gill rakers. There is a single dorsal fin with VIII to VIII or IX spines and 26 to 28 soft rays, and an anal fin with III spines and 25 to 27 soft rays. The rays of both the dorsal and anal fins are branched. The caudal fin is truncate, with 10 branched rays. There are 13 or 14 rays in the pectoral fins, and the pelvic fins have I strong spine and 5 branched soft rays. The scales are small, round or slightly oval, with enlarged ctenii. The body is uniformly light reddish-orange in color.