This species is characterized by having 7 dorsal spines, 13-14 dorsal soft rays, 2 anal spines, and 9 anal soft rays. The body is dark brown with yellow stripes. Small juveniles may have spots, while specimens up to 5 cm SL exhibit 3 stripes. As the specimens grow, reaching at least 8 cm SL, they develop 6 stripes, and the number of stripes may increase, breaking into a series of dashes in large adults.