Chinese trumpetfish in shape to the anal fin which is just under. The pelvic fins are located in the middle of the body and are small, with one basal black spot. The body coloration can be uniform or mottled in a range of grey, brown, or dark green. Some fish are uniformly bright yellow. The rear part of the body is normally black with white dots. Two black spots are present on the tail. The compound set of the long caudal peduncle and the caudal fin is yellowish, whatever the fish coloration. Caudal fin usually has two round black spots, at least
Kaupus costatus nearer to the head than to tip of tail and has a moderately long base. The anal fin is very small and is located below the posterior half of dorsal fin, the caudal fin is small and rounded and a pectoral fin is present. The meristics are that the dorsal fin has 30-36 soft rays, the anal fin has 3-4, the pectoral fin has 9-11 and the caudal fin has 7-10, although this is normally 9-10. The bosy has 16-18 rings on the trunk and the tail has 35-38. The fish is red or reddish-brown in colour with very small