Body relatively elongate and compressed. Preopercular margin serrated; posterior part of opercle with 2 flat spines. Top of head and maxilla scaleless. Bases of soft portions of dorsal and anal fins without scales. Second anal spine shorter than the third. Teeth on both jaws villiform in bands; the outer series slightly enlarged; upper jaw with an anterior pair of canines, anterior teeth on lower jaw canine-like. Pelvic fin long, its tip reaching to origin of anal fin. Caudal fin deeply emarginate, upper and lower lobes elongated. Body pale red dorsally, silver-white ventrally; fins pale yellow.
Distribution:
From Gulf of Mexico to Suriname.
Remarks:
This species is similar to Hemanthias leptus but separable from it by having the fewer number of lateral-line scales. (Matsuura)