Diagnosis: upper lateral line extending full length of dorsal fin base and descending a row before proceeding length of three or more scales; 14-15 gill-rakers, widely spaced along lower limb of first arch; 36-40 lateral line scales; head length 29.0-35.7% of standard length; usually 29 vertebrae; inferior vertebral apophysis short and oriented caudad rather than of standard Tylochromis type (Ref. 52346).

Description: relatively shallow bodied and elongate; predorsal profile rises steeply over snout, frequently lending a blunt-nosed appearance; profile interrupted by a fleshy thickening of interorbital region, after which profile rises less steeply to origin of dorsal fin; deepest body depth along back lies at dorsal fin origin; lower jaw often slightly inclined from horizontal when mouth is closed; lower pharyngeal jaw robust; lips thick and fleshy; buccal mucosa separating left and right tooth bands in upper jaw frequently hypotrophied and raised into a distinct fleshy median ridge; inferior vertebral apophysis borne on third vertebra with only a very small buttressing component on fourth; apophysis shallow and strongly caudally directed; well-spaced, short and broad gill rakers along lower limb of first arch; hypobranchial with 2-3 short and broad rakers; epibranchial rakers stout; upper lateral line extending full length of dorsal fin base and descending a row before proceeding the length of three or more scales; 36-40 lateral line scales; dorsal fin spines increase in length to fourth and are then more or less equal in length; anal fin rounded; pectoral fins rather short, not reaching level of spinous anal fin; first branched pelvic ray frequently produced and filamentous, sometimes reaching beyond origin of soft anal fin; caudal fin emarginate and finely scaled to fin periphery (Ref. 52346).

Coloration: body green-grey, lower parts more silvery; upper lip, ethmoidal and interorbital region dark brown (Ref. 52307, 52346). Dorsum and flank silvery grey, tinged with bronze; belly pale yellowish silver; narrow golden line around pupil may be present; short black/brown nape band not extending down onto operculum and followed by traces of 5 short, dark bluish, vertical stripes not reaching below midline (Ref. 52346). Scales on dorsum and upper flanks outlined by a dark brown ring (Ref. 52307, 52346), giving a lattice like pattern to body (Ref. 52346). Scale pigmentation in ventral regions restricted to a small yellow/brown patch in ventral field of flank and belly scales, such that 2-3 rows of discrete pale spots adorn flanks; chest, branchiostegal membranes and lower lip creamy white; cheek and opercular region light silvery brown; opercular blotch faint and diffuse (Ref. 52346). A streak of red at corner of mouth; all fins dark brownish red, with numerous rows of light maculae only on dorsal fin (Ref. 52307, 52346). Preserved specimens: juveniles with 5-6 broad vertical stripes behind nape band, which are dorsally rather caudad oriented and rostrad directed at midline, giving a zigzagged pattern; interdigitating juvenile barring commonly present between stripes; vertical striping in adults far less evident; mature males with typical caudal fin stripes, sometimes with series of spots in stead of stripes (Ref. 52346).