It can be told apart from other members of the B. pugnax group by the following characters: chin bar present; no complete second postorbital stripe on opercle; presence of transverse bars in caudal-fin of males; caudal-fin in males broadly lanceolate; opercle scales iridescent blue; anal-fin with reddish subdistal band and black margin; caudal-fin without dark margin; 25-28 anal-fin rays; 28-31 lateral scales; 11-12 postdorsal scales; length of pelvic fins 26.6-43.8 % SL; length of head 27.5-35.2 % SL; inter-orbital width 32.4-53.0 % HL.