The body is sturdy, elongated and rounded. There are two dorsal fins separated by a substantial interspace which is at least as long as the base of the first dorsal fin.Teeth are small and conical. The first gill arch has 43–48 gill rakers. Pectoral fins are short and do not extend to the vertical line from the anterior margin of the scaleless area above the corselet. Regarding coloration, the back is bluish, transitioning to a deep purple or nearly black shade on the head. The scaleless area features a pattern of 15 or more fairly broad, nearly vertical dark bars. The belly is white, while the pectoral and pelvic fins exhibit a purple coloration.