Body elongate and compressed. Body depth 3.0 in SL. Posterior edge of upper jaw reaching to below center of eye. Two pores and a median groove on chin. Preopercle finely serrated. Soft portions of dorsal and anal fins scaled to their margins. Scale just below lateral line arranged parallel to body axis. Caudal fin forked. Body silver-white; dorsal parts of head and snout dusky brown; a broad bronze to yellow line running from eye to base of caudal fin; a second narrow yellow line on dorsal part of body; a dark brown blotch on base of caudal fin; caudal fin dusky, other fins chalky.
Distribution:
From Florida through Bahamas to Brazil (found in shallow waters about 30 m deep).
Remarks:
This species is similar to H. boschmae but separable from it by having the higher body (body depth 3.0 in SL instead of 3.1〜3.2) and the smaller number of gill rakers (24〜28 instead of 31〜33).