Moderately compressed body, deepest in front of dorsal fin; strong tapering to narrow caudal peduncle; large, forked caudal fin; wide head; subterminal mouth; hard plate on lower jaw; large eye; dorsal-fin origin over pelvic-fin origin; rounded, protruding snout; decurved, complete lateral line with 85-93 scales; long intestine (at least twice length of body) ; black peritoneum; dorsal fin with 10-11 rays; anal fin with 9-10 rays; pharyngeal teeth 0,4-4,0 to 0,5-5,0; gray above, brassy silver side; yellow to brown fins; large individuals with gray dorsal and caudal fins, orange at pectoral and pelvic-fin bases (Ref. 86798). Tail large and flaring. Lower jaw bears a sharp edge, nearly square when viewed from beneath. Sharp part of lip consist of cornified epithelium which is sometimes slightly calcified. Internal to the fleshy upper lip is a small, hard plate upon which the lower lip bears. Young fish have a more rounded lower lip, when viewed either laterally or from below. Digestive tract in adults is about twice the length of the body, with most of its length consisting of a coiled section posterior to the entry of the bile duct (Ref. 52680).