The fish has a broadly rounded snout when viewed from above, lacks strong anterior teeth, and has no scales on the spinous dorsal fin. It features 13–18 gill rakers on the lower limb of the 1st gill arch, and there are 6–8 scale rows above the lateral line to the origin of the dorsal fin and 9–14 scale rows below the lateral line to the origin of the anal fin. The coloration is greyish on the back, while the flanks and belly exhibit a silvery appearance with a golden gloss. The distal third of the spinous dorsal fin is dusky, and the anal and paired fins are yellowish.