Description
Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 10-12; Pectoral fin rays: 15-17; Lateral line scale: 30-31. Body and caudal peduncle moderately slender; Head and snout elongate, sharply pointed; Dorsal outline of snout, forehead and nape nearly straight in lateral profile; Jaws attenuate. Scaly basal sheath on dorsal and anal fins moderately high, about 2½ scales in depth; Distal outline of sheaths nearly straight anterodorsally and posterodorsally. Predorsal scales reaching forward to above center of orbit on dorsal midline of head; Scales lateral to midline reaching only slightly farther forward; scales very small on top of head anterior to point midway between posterior edge of preopercle and posterior extent of orbit. Cheek scales reaching forward on upper side of mouth to below or slightly in advance of anterior extent of orbit, scales reaching free preopercular edge posteriorly and ventrally; Subopercle completely scaled; Scales reaching forward on lower jaw slightly in advance of posterior corner of mouth; Single scale usually apparent midway between corner of mouth and anterior tip of jaw. Lateral-line scales each most frequently with singular laterosensory canal tube flexed dorsally near posterior end of scale; Larger specimens often with accessory pores, sometimes with short to ornately elongate branches. Posterior edge of preopercle minutely serrate to smooth, usually minutely serrate on ventral portion. Posterior corner of mouth immediately posterior to vertical at anterior extent of orbit. Gill rakers on upper limb distinctly smaller than on lower; Rakers mostly simple, although smaller specimens often have tiny arborescences on rakers of upper limb; Raker closest angle of arch on lower limb sometimes broadly bifurcate. Upper jaw with first prominent anterior canine equal to or slightly smaller than second; First canine directed anteroventrally, tip often curved ventrally; Second canine directed ventrolaterally and slightly anteriorly, the tip occasionally curved ventrally; Dental ridge mostly straight with ≈6–21 very small canines; Single moderately large prominent canine at posterior end of jaw directed anteroventrally and slightly laterally in small individuals, directed more anteriorly in larger specimens. Lower jaw with first prominent anterior canine ≈2⁄3–¾ length of second; First canine directed anterodorsally and usually slightly laterally, tip often curved dorsally; Dental ridge usually long and continuous with about 15–22 very small canines in single row, teeth becoming only slightly larger posteriorly, teeth occasionally separable into 2 series. Vomerine teeth absent. Horizontal axis of lower pharyngeal moderately deep centrally as viewed from above, posterior margin moderately convex; Teeth mostly aligned transversely in about three or four rows; Teeth rounded, those medially of moderate size, lateral teeth smaller, central tooth in posterior row distinctly largest; Anterior head of pharyngeal short and wide with two or three short canines of similar size to teeth immediately behind, on midline and on either side. Posterior tip of dorsal fin rounded to truncate, usually reaching almost to posterior edge of hypurals, occasionally reaching posterior edge in very small or very large individuals. Posterior tip of anal fin bluntly pointed, usually reaching distinctly short of posterior edge of hypurals. Caudal fin slightly rounded in juveniles, truncate in larger individuals. Posterior edge of pectoral fin truncate dorsally with dorsal rays of similar length; Rays progressively shorter ventrally with posteroventral edge of fin broadly rounded. Pelvic fin short, posterior tip approaching anus only in small individuals. Max. length: 14.4 cm SL. Depth range: 5 - 100 m.

• Juveniles - Body brown with about 4 horizontal rows of large irregularly rectangular white spots manifested as broken white stripes; Ventral portion of head white with dark brown line directed posteriorly from corner of mouth bordered dorsally by broad white stripe, second brown line curving posteroventrally from corner of mouth in larger juveniles. Dorsal fin brown with narrow white marginal stripe and basal row of white spots; Large black spot anteriorly between first and third spines; Second large black spot ocellated with white immediately posterior to last spine; Posterior lobe of fin transparent. Anal fin brown anteriorly and basally; Narrow white marginal stripe distally; Large black spot ocellated with white immediately posterior to last spine; Second smaller black spot similarly ocellated with white basally at posterior end of fin; Distal portion of fin transparent posteriorly. Caudal fin white; Moderately small black spot near center of scaly base. Pectoral fin transparent; Large dark brown to black spot on fleshy pectoral-fin base and basal edge of fin, spot outlined dorsally, anteriorly and ventrally by white. Pelvic fin white with large black spot covering most of fin.
  
  
• Initial-phase adults - As described for juveniles, with overall pattern on sides appearing more reticulate. Transforming initialphase adults loosing reticulate pattern but retaining four white spots below dorsal-fin base.