The fish has a standard length of 30 centimeters. It has 9 spines and 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin, 3 spines and 9 soft rays in the anal fin, and 13–15 rays in the pectoral fin. The lips of the fish extensively cover the dental plates. In the initial phase, there is a canine-like tooth on the upper dental plate, and in the terminal phase, there are two canine-like teeth on the upper plate and a single such tooth on the lower plate. The caudal fin is deeply emarginate in the terminal phase. Initial phase individuals are uniformly red-brown with several pale blotches and a noticeable pale head. In the terminal phase, they exhibit mostly pale green to tan coloration, with a lavender face and blue bands over their upper lip, extending backward over the cheek below the eye. There is a second green band behind the eye and additional bands on the lower lip and chin.