Head depressed, smooth or finely striated above; snout not or little projecting beyond lower jaw; premaxillary band of teeth 5-6.5 times as long as broad, nearly as broad as the band of vomerine teeth; maxillary barbel 2(juv.)-1 times head length, reaching to extremity of pelvics or beyond (<200mm), to extremity of pectoral (300-500mm) or hardly beyond gill-opening (>500mm); nasal barbel 2/5 (<100mm)-1/7 (>500mm) head length; outer mandibular barbel 3/4(juv.)-2/5 of head length; inner mandibular barbel 1/2(juv.)-1/5 of head length; gillrakers rather long, widely set (Ref. 52162). Occipital processus long and narrow (Ref. 52162, Ref. 2988). Dorsal fin short, last ray above or just in front of first ray of pelvic; dorsal spine smooth, feeble (Ref. 52162). Adipose fin large (Ref. 52161), 5(juv.)-11 (>600mm) times as long as deep (Ref. 52162). Dorsal fins widely separated (Ref. 4967, Ref. 2899), space 2/3-1 times length of base of rayed dorsal fin; pectoral spine smooth or very slightly serrated; caudal fin deeply forked with pointed lobes (Ref. 52162).

Coloration: brown or olive above, pale beneath, black dots or blotches scattered irregularly on the back, on the adipose dorsal and caudal fins, and sometimes also on the rayed dorsal (Ref. 52162).