Body deep, height 50-55% of SL; head small 25% of SL, snout short; eyes on left side, close together; mouth 36-38% of head length, ends under middle lower eye; teeth small, conical, 1 row each jaw, better developed on blind side; 8-9 short, fat gill rakers; dorsal 73-80 rays, origin over front half of top eye; anal 57-62 rays; eye side pectoral equal to or longer than head; pelvics in symmetric position on belly, of equal sizes; lateral line strongly arched over pectoral fin, with branch under lower eye; urinary papilla on eye-side; scales on both sides of body smooth, small scales dispersed between large scales; lateral line with 120-123 scales.
Eye side grey-brown, streaked with darker brown and small pale spots; sometimes 2 large dark blotches on lateral line, 1 at end of arch, other before tail base; dorsal, anal and tail with dark spots, pectorals with dark bars; blind side white.
