Head and body compressed; fleshy nape crest absent in male, well developed in female; 2-3 pores on preopercle; mouth large, nearly vertical; tip of tongue divided; dorsal fin VII (in both sexes spines II-V long, extending to mid soft dorsal in male spines) + I, 16-18 rays; anal I, 16-18 rays; pectoral fin 19-23 rays; tail fin long, pointed; pelvics fused to form disc; scales on body from pectoral axil rearwards, patch of rough scales on flank behind base of pectoral fin, remaining scales smooth to almost entirely rough, in 46-56 lateral rows; head, nape, breast, belly, and base of pectoral fin scaleless.
Both sexes mid-brown; lower head with 2 blue stripes, the upper one extending under eye; a blue bar on rear edge of operculum; a prominent dark blotch on back immediately under spinous dorsal; side of body behind this blotch with 2-4 blue bars or pairs of large blue spots; upper back with a row of 3-4 blue spots, which become smaller towards the rear; base of pectoral with 1-2 blue spots; orange areas between and around blue bars/spots on head and body; chin, lower chest and pelvic fins blackish; inner part of second dorsal with two rows of orange spots separated by a blue stripe; tail fin with a red central stripe and a yellow stripe immediately below, several brown spots on upper margin and a yellow lower margin. Male: first dorsal fin with 1-2 rows of brown spots near its base, filamentous spines dark; anal fin dusky with a pale margin. Female: first dorsal dusky with 3 intense dark spots; anal dusky with a broad median clear stripe.
