There are 6-7 dorsal spines, 9 dorsal soft rays, 1 anal spine and 9 anal soft rays. It is characterized by dark brown and white speckling on the upper part, a pale underside, a brown stripe extending from the eye to above the middle of the jaws. It has approximately 5 pairs of black spots on the mid-side, and occasionally irregular, somewhat vertical, narrow white lines on the belly and lower sides. In males, the first dorsal fin is dark with a pale margin, and the first spine is elongated.