Colour of head and body blackish brown; anterodorsal part of eye, interorbital space, snout and anterior tip of lower jaw pale or pale brown; several pale or pale brown saddles on head and body, in addition to numerous minute pale spots; anal fin with 5-6 diagonal black lines. Body elongate, compressed. Head slightly compressed; jaws subequal, not reaching to a vertical through posterior margin of eye; gill opening reaching anteriorly around a vertical through posterior margin of preopercle. Sensory canals and pores present on head; distinct transverse sensory-papillae rows on cheek; a pair of short longitudinal sensory papillae rows just behind chin.