Dorsal fin slightly notched; oral disc narrower than head; teeth blunt and poorly; usually 52-56 trunk myomeres; black on lateral-line pores (Ref. 86798). Other diagnostic features: 8.5-36.3 cm TL. Body proportions, as percentage of TL (based on 36 specimens measuring 8.9-26.1 cm TL): prebranchial length, 11.5-15.5; branchial length, 7.3-12.6; trunk length, 44.4-52.9; tail length, 23.9-34.4; eye length, 0.8-2.4; disc length, 5.4 -11.6. The urogenital papilla length, as a percentage of branchial length, in a spawning male 18.3 cm TL, 5.3. Trunk myomeres, 49-58. Dentition: supraoral lamina, 1-5 teeth, usually 2-3; infraoral lamina, 6-13 teeth; typically 4 endolateral teeth on each side, but 5 teeth also occur; 1-8, mode of 6, bicuspid endolaterals in total, the other endolaterals, if any, unicuspid; 2-5 rows of anterials, usually 4; first row of anterials, 3 teeth; 4-10 rows of exolaterals on each side, usually 6-7; 2-3 rows of posterials; first row of posterials, 8-11 usually unicuspid teeth, but one lateralmost may be bicuspid; crest of transverse lingual lamina variable, linear or weakly w-shaped to rarely strongly w-shaped, with numerous cusps, the median one not enlarged; longitudinal lingual laminae number of teeth unrecorded. Additonally, one accessory tooth is occasionally developed inside the ring formed by the supraoral and infraoral laminae and the endolateral teeth. Velar tentacles, 2, smooth. Body coloration (preserved) in adults grading from darker on the upper surface to paler on the lower surface; lateral aspects sometimes mottled; spent adults blue-black. Lateral line neuromasts darkly pigmented beginning around 15 cm TL. Caudal fin pigmentation, 75% or more. Caudal fin shape, rounded. Oral fimbriae, 90-126. Oral papillae, 15-30 (Ref. 89241).