The caudal peduncle is short, nearly square in cross-section and features two fleshy keels at the base of the caudal fin. There are no teeth on the roof of the mouth and the anal fin has 3 spines and 14–15 soft rays. The eyes are large that are surrounded by thick adipose tissue and the caudal fin lobes lack the ability to fold into a single lobe. The coloration is silvery with a bluish tinge on the back. The inside of the opercle is black and the eye displays two golden crescents separated by a vertical dark region. Large specimens may exhibit a uniformly dark coloration with the fins appearing greyish.