The species has a body depth almost equal to the length of its head, and its caudal fin may be convex or truncate with rounded corners. The swim bladder is carrot-shaped with a pair of simple appendages at its head end. The dorsal fin is divided by a deep incision, with 10 spines in the forward part and a single spine and between 26 and 28 soft rays in the rear part. The anal fin has 2 spines and 7 soft rays, and the pectoral fins contain 17 or 18 rays. The standard length is 2.8 to 3.3 times the body’s depth. The head has small, cycloid scales, while the body has similarly sized ctenoid scales. The back is greyish-green, and the sides are silvery-yellow. The anterior part of the dorsal fin is black, and there is a black blotch above the base of the pectoral fin.