ABSTRACT
Body elongate, robust, the depth contained 2.9–3.9 times in standard length (for fish 15–48 cm SL). Head length 2.7–3.1 times in standard length; snout length 2.8–3.6 times in head length; suborbital depth 5.6–10 times in head length; interorbital area flat (rounded at edges of orbits), with small, embedded scales; preopercle broadly rounded, with 3 large, ventrally directed spines along lower half; interopercle and subopercle smooth; opercle with 3 flat spines, the upper and lower spines covered by skin; posterior and anterior nostrils subequal in size, set in a shallow groove running forward from eye; midlateral part of upper jaw with 1–4 enlarged fixed canines. Lower limb developed gill rakers 2–7, gill raker at angle shorter than gill filaments at angle. Dorsal fin with 7 or 8 slender spines and 10–12 rays, the 3rd or 4th spine longest, its length contained 3.2–4.2 times in head length, the longest ray 2.3–2.6 times in head length; base of spinous part of dorsal fin subequal to that of soft-rayed part; anal fin with 3 slender spines and 8 rays, the first 1 or 2 spines embedded and difficult to see in large fish; pectoral-fin rays 15 or 16; pectoral fins subequal to pelvic fins, pectoral-fin length 2.0–2.4 times in head length; caudal fin truncate to slightly emarginate, the caudal concavity more than 13 times in head length. Lateral-line scales 83–97.
