Body elongate and somewhat compressed; snout rounded; head relatively narrow (usually < 10% of SL) and shallow (height usually < 16% of SL), narrow between eyes; top jaw bone expanded vertically at rear; rear 3 pores on bottom jaw small; a sharp spine on opercle that always has 1 tip; eye relatively large (1.9-2.8% of SL); preopercle with 3 pores at lower rear corner; upper part with a pore; gill rakers 13-17, 2-4 long rakers in angle of arch; origin of dorsal fin at level of middle of pectoral fins; pelvic fins inserted below rear part of head; dorsal rays 78-91; anal rays 56-65; origin of anal under dorsal rays 20-26; pectoral rays 19-21; tail fin rays 15-16; lateral line indistinct, continuous, complete; body covered with tiny overlapping scales, about 110 in midlateral series; patch of cheek scales with 7-9 vertical rows of scales; belly with scales; penis moderately long, curved, tapering, thin; 2 pairs of long pseudoclaspers associated with penis, outer pair broad, ezpanded at tips, inner pair with 3 slender branches at tip, center branch short.
Reddish brown, white on lower part of head and belly; dorsal and anal fin bases lighter.
Size: reaches 9.2 cm.
Inhabits shallow reefs.
Depth: 1-10 m.
Southern Baja and the SW and central E Gulf of California.
