The body is posteriorly compressed and cylindrical in the anterior region, giving it a small size. The head is obtuse, convex, and slightly depressed. The mouth is oblique, with the upper jaw shorter than the lower jaw. The second dorsal and anal fins are positioned opposite each other and are approximately the same length. The dorsal fin is lower than the body height, and the caudal fin is rounded. The opercle is scaled, featuring 25-27 ctenoid scales in the median lateral series. The body is yellowish-brown with 7 or 8 bands; the first band passes through the eye, the second through the opercle, and the others extend down the body, with the last band located at the caudal base.