Diagnosed from congeners in Aegean and Black Sea basin by the following characters: origin of anal fin about ½ -1½ scales behind dorsal fin base; lateral line with 57-63 + 3-4 scales; anal fin with 13-15½ branched rays (mode 14½ ); base of paired fin hyaline or grey in spawners; 24-35 gill rakes (mode 31); length of gill raker at angle of upper and lower limbs of first gill arch 30-55% of opposite inner gill filament; ventral keel exposed for 8-12 scales in front of anus; caudal peduncle depth 1.8-2.3 times in its length; and nuptial males with few, large tubercles (Ref. 59043).