This genus is distinguished by the following characters: presence of submental crests, not fused anteriorly; elongated and narrow neurocranium; the frontal bones are totally fused with no trace of a suture, the frontal corner squared; long frontal ramus; the sphenotic and parietal separated by pterotic; parietal bones meet in the mid-line; parasphenoid wing height high; juncture of ceratohyal-epihyal is smooth; branchiostegal rays 5; posterior hyomandibular ramus elongate; well developed palatal arch and posttemporal ventral ramus; scapular foramen enclosed by bone; with scapular strut; 4 notched radials (= actinosts); with postcleithrum; 85 dorsal fin-rays (last 7 counted from dorsal-fin pterygiophores); 71 anal-fin rays (last 10 counted from anal-fin pterygiophores); 18 pectoral fin rays; presence of pelvic bone; vertebrae asymmetrical (21+68=89); ribs on 4?21 abdominal vertebrae; 1 epural; dorsal-fin origin associated with vertebrae 4; well developed oral valve; gill slit extending ventrally to lower end of pectoral-fin base; blunt gill rakers; nub-like pyloric caeca; presence of scales, palatine and vomerine teeth; pale oral cavity; black peritoneum; a blurred brown band between the anteroventral edge of the eye and the upper jaw.

Additional diagnostic characters are the following: frontal and parasphenoid not separated by pterosphenoid; supraoccipital-exoccipìtal articulation excluded by epioccipitals; no supratemporal commissure and occipital pores; ascending rami of the parasphenoid reaches the upper margin of the trigeminofacialis foramen; well developed intercalar, not reaching prootic; 8-9 suborbital bones, canal with 7 pores; postorbital pores 1 and 4; single posterior nasal pore; cartilaginous basal plate of pectoral girdle with three foramina; vertebrae asymmetrical (19-21+ 64-77 = 83-97); dorsal-fin origin associated with vertebrae 2-4; well developed oral valve; blunt gill rakers; pelvic-fin rays ensheathed; squamation extensive, but head and pectoral-fin base and axil have no scales; lateral line mediolateral, palatine teeth 9-23; vomerine teeth 7-17 (Ref. 90127).