Distinguished from its congeners in Europe by having patches of breast scales continuous across breast, lateral line usually reaching at least anal fin base, a faint midlateral stripe on flank in preserved individuals, more or less dissociated into squarish blotches, dorsal half of body goldish-bronze with few darker vermiculations, caudal peduncle depth 2.1-2.9 times in its length, snout length 28-33% HL, 0.9-1.3 times eye diameter, and anal fin origin below or behind base of last dorsal ray (Ref. 59043).