Body oval and strongly compressed; snout short and blunt; chest covered with scales; lateral line conspicuously curved anteriorly, with 6 to 14 very weak scutes along the caudal peduncle; lower branch of first gill arch with 9 to 12 gill rakers; body and head blue green; flanks and belly silvery; edge of operculum with very characteristic black stain; dorsal region of caudal also stained black (Ref. 55763).