The blue blanquillo has an elongated body with a pointed snout, the mouth reaching as far as the forward nostril.

The margin of the preoperculum is smooth and the Gill cover has a sharp spine which is similar in size to diameter of the pupil.

There is a wide black lateral stripe which starts from the base of the pectoral fin in adults and from the snout in juveniles.

The adults have fine lattice patterning on their upper back[3] with a white area on the middle of the rear margin of the caudal fin.

[2] The blue blanquillo's main food is benthic invertebrates or zooplankton, but they also feed on crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp, molluscs, worms, sea urchins and small fish.

[8] The Blue blanquillo was first formally described in 1801 as Labrus latovittatus by the French zoologist Bernard German de Lacépède (1756–1825).