The body is highly compressed. There are multiple rows of teeth with truncated ends on both jaws. The dorsal and anal fins have a concave shape with longer anterior rays. The caudal fin is forked. The pelvic fins originate much closer to the caudal base than to the tip of the upper jaw. The coloration is blue-green on the upper part and silvery below, featuring a lateral silver band. This band is bordered above by a narrower black band. The dorsal and caudal fins have black borders and the pelvic and anal fins are usually tipped with black. Young individuals display vertical bars on their bodies.