The fish has a body adorned with massive but relatively short, immovable spines. There are four dorsally between the pectoral fin bases and 8–9 anterior to the dorsal fin base. Additionally, there is a short, movable spine near the corner of the mouth, and all spines on top of the head are three-rooted. In terms of coloration, the back is brown to grey, while the belly is white. Clusters of spots may occasionally merge to form blotches, and there are no dark spots on the fins. A light area often surrounds the spine bases on the back and sides.