The fish has an almond-shaped body and a large head, comprising one-third to one-half of its body length. It possesses numerous head spines and often sports large tentacles above its eyes. The dorsal, anal, pelvic, and pectoral fins exhibit greatly elongated spines and rays, resembling an exploding firework. The caudal fin is rounded. The dorsal fin includes 13 spines and 9-12 (typically 11) soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 6-8 (usually 7) soft rays. The color patterns, although variable depending on the environment, typically consist of red and white zebra stripes, with spotted soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins.