Body rather deep and compressed, body depth 2.8 in SL. Tooth patch on vomer anchor-shaped, extended posteriorly. Pectoral fin long, its length longer than distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of preopercle. A pair of large canine teeth on anterior part of upper jaw. Caudal fin emarginate. Body olive brown dorsally, becoming paler ventrally; head and caudal peduncle pale red; a pale triangular bar between eye and area behind mouth and a narrow longitudinal blue line below eye; no dark markings on side of body; all fins orange yellow.
Distribution:
From New England to Brazil.
Remarks:
This species is separable from other species of Lutjanus by the following characters:dorsal fin with 10 spines and 14 soft rays, anal fin with 8 soft rays, 8 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch, 45〜49 lateral-line scales, and a pale triangular bar between the eye and the area behind the mouth.