The fish has dorsal-fin rays numbering XII, 15-16; anal-fin rays III, 7; and pectoral-fin rays 17. The chin is naked and often swollen with age, and there is no antrorse spine. The caudal fin is rounded or lanceolate in juveniles, transitioning to truncate or emarginate in adults. The dorsal fin has XI or more spines and 14 to 22 soft rays, with 10 to 17 scales between the lateral line and dorsal-fin origin. The swimbladder lacks horn-like extensions anteriorly. The body features three diagonal dark bars.