The overall colour of the Slender whiting is a light sandy brown, with two series of faint blotches running laterally. The upper row of these blotches has about 8 or 9 spots while the lower mid-lateral row has 10 spots. A row of indistinct spots or blotches runs along the base of the first, spinous dorsal fin, whose anterior most interspinous membranes are dusted with black spots. The membrane of the second dorsal fin dusted with black, while all other fins are hyaline in appearance. Juveniles have a well defined mid lateral horizontal row of 9 elongate spots just below the lateral line.