Distinguished from all congeners in Turkey and adjacent areas by a combination of the following characters (none unique to the species): ventral keel between pelvic fin and

anal fin partly or slightly developed; scaleless about 1/2 to 2/3 its length; upper body profile markedly convex, with marked hump at nape, especially in specimens larger than 60 mm SL; upper head profile straight or slightly convex in interorbital area, slightly convex on snout; corner of mouth reaching vertical through anterior margin of pupil; snout with slightly pointed

tip; interorbital width 7-8% SL; dark grey stripe indistinct or slightly distinct in anterior part of body but distinct in posterior body; pigmentation of lateral line slightly distinct in anterior part of body but indistinct in posterior part of body in most of specimens; scales on lateral-line 45-52+2-3; scale rows between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin 9-12; scale rows between lateral line and anal-fin origin 4-5; , anal fin with 10½-12½ branched rays; pharyngeal teeth 4.2-2.4, markedly hooked; and total vertebrae 40-42 (20-22, with mode of 21, abdominal and 19-21, with mode of 20, caudal vertebrae) (Ref. 91784).