The body is deep and compresse with small mouth; deeply lunate caudal fin; a lancet-like spine on each side of caudal peduncle which folds into a deep horizontal groove;three-fourth of the upper body with alternate black-edged blue and yellow stripes; dorsal fin is striped pale blue and yellowish anal fin grey with a yellow basal band and a light blue margin; pectoral fins are pale except basally; Pelvic fins are yellow-orange in colour with a white lateral margin