The fish has an inferior mouth, and the upper jaw has teeth arranged in a villose band, with the outer row slightly enlarged. The teeth on the lower jaw are uniformly small. There are five mental pores. The swim bladder is carrot-shaped with 14–17 pairs of arborescent appendages along the sides, with the first pair wholly or partly entering the head. The sagitta (large earstone) has a tadpole-shaped impression, with the “tail” bent at a sharp angle. The caudal fin is rhomboid. The coloration includes a grey dorsal area, shading to silvery white on the belly, with a dark brown band on the nape and an opercle with a deep blue blotch.