The fish has a small, inferior mouth. The gill rakers are pointed and slender, not club-shaped, numbering 11–14 on the lower limb of the 1st gill arch. It has 6–9 scale rows above the lateral line to the origin of the dorsal fin, and 10–14 scale rows below the lateral line to the origin of the anal fin. The caudal fin is rhomboidal in shape. In terms of color, the upper two-thirds of the body is light grey or with a white sheen, while the lower one-third is white or yellowish.