Although adults are more similar in shape to other oreos, the juveniles have a distinctive plating/armor in their skin, which is spiked and probably makes them harder to eat for any hostile creature.

Adults lack that plating, and, as other oreos, they have a protractile mouth and very large eyes, with small scales.

The adults are deep bodied and laterally compressed with a strongly humped back They have a small head with large eyes.

[1] The juveniles are dark grey or black in colour with rounded white blotches.

They have a rounded stomach with two rows of cone-shaped protrusions.