The preorbital bone is significantly wider than the eye diameter; the vomerine tooth patch is V-shaped or triangular, lacking a medial posterior extension; the tongue is toothless; lips in adults are thick; scale rows on the back rise obliquely above the lateral line; the anal fin has 3 spines and 10 soft rays; and there are 16–19 gill rakers on the 1st gill arch.In terms of coloration, adults are generally red or pink. Juveniles and smaller adults are pink with three dark red bands: the first runs from the 1st dorsal fin spine through the eye to the tip of the snout; the second extends from the middle of the spinous part of the dorsal fin to the pelvic fins; and the third runs from the base of the last dorsal fin spine obliquely downward to the lower edge of the caudal fin.