Diagnosis: Body slender or moderate, its depth about 22-29% of standard length; 10-14 pre-pelvic and 7-10 post-pelvic scutes, no pre-pectoral scutes, first scute beginning slightly before or behind base of last pectoral fin ray and identical as following scutes without ascending arms; lower jaw strongly projecting, with strong canine teeth at symphysis; pre-maxilla with one large backward-pointing canine tooth on each side, about halfway along normal pre-maxillary series, rarely 1-2 smaller ones beside or a little behind it; lower gill rakers 18-29, shorter than corresponding gill filaments and the anterior ones reduced to stumps in large adults; anal fin with 19-24 rays; silver stripe along flank (Ref. 188, 54749). It resembles Pellonula vorax, which lacks canine teeth in the upper jaw and has one or more pre-pectoral scutes (Ref. 188).

Description: Body depth equal to or a little less than head length, 3,5 to 4,25 times in total length (Ref. 1878, 2263). Caudal peduncle a little longer than deep (Ref. 1878). Upper profile of head almost straight and horizontal; snout rounded, 1/3 of head length, about equal to eye diameter; eye, whose eyelid is sufficiently developed, is one third of head length and exceeds the interorbital width by a quarter (Ref. 1878). Maxilla is three times as long as it is wide and extending to below centre of eye (Ref. 1877, 1878). Gillrakers much shorter than gill filaments, 31-45 total gill rakers, 18-29 on lower part of anterior arch (Ref. 188, 1878, 54749). Dorsal fin with 15-18 rays, originating immediately behind vertical of base of pelvic fins, at equal distance from end of snout and from caudal; anal fin with 19-24 rays; pectoral fin with 12-16 rays, 2/3 of head length, not reaching pelvic fin; pelvic fin with 8 rays; caudal fin deeply forked, with pointed lobes (Ref. 1878, 54749). Scales cycloid; 39-50 scales in longitudinal series; 14 in transversal series (Ref. 1877, 2263, 54749). Ventral keel with 10-14 pre-pelvic and 7-10 post-pelvic scutes, first scute identical as following scutes without ascending arms, beginning slightly before or behind base of last pectoral fin ray (Ref. 1878, 54749). With 22-25 abdominal vertebrae and 19-22 caudal vertebrae (Ref. 54749).

Colouration: Upper part olive-brown, lower part whitish; ventral side of head pinkish; a more or less distinct silvery lateral band; fins olive-like; iris silver (Ref. 1877, 1878). Specimens preserved in alcohol have a general colouration ranging from light yellow-brown to gray yellow-brown, with operculum, ventral region and middle of flanks lighter (Ref. 54749).