This species is characterized by a body depth of 2.5–2.8 times in standard length, with the snout length measuring about 1.9–2.4 times in head length. The lateral teeth in the jaws are molars, with tubercles or broadly rounded. There are 5½ scale rows between the lateral line and the base of the middle dorsal fin spines. The inner surface of the pectoral fin bases is either scaleless or has only a few scales, and the cheeks are scaleless. The body is green-grey above and silver below, with white spots sometimes on scale centers, especially above the lateral line. The head is brownish mauve-purple, and the posterior margin of the opercle and sometimes the base of the pectoral fins are red. The dorsal fin is white and orange mottled with a reddish margin.