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
Alfonsino are bright red. The anal fin is distinctly larger than in many fish species and its caudal fin is deeply forked. Its bright red color is a common adaptation to deepwater surroundings, where red is filtered out of the light spectrum. Although the most common size is , it can reach lengths of up to TL. The maximum published weight for an alfonsino is . Juveniles have heavy head spines, while adults do not. The alfonsino is found worldwide in subtropical and temperate waters, with a latitudinal range extending from 70°N to 48°S. It is found from as far north