Diagnosed from congeners in Turkey and adjacent waters by the combination of the following non-unique characters: presence of a spot on the scale pocket of each scale, covered by the preceding scale and appearing as a greyish spot at the posterior tip of the preceding scales; no or only few melanophores along the posterior margin of each flank scale; no black bar behind the opercle; most flank scales with a somewhat undulating outer margin; head length 27.8–-31.1 % SL), approximately 1.2-1.3 times body depth, head shape not sexually dimorphic; mouth terminal, without or with a very slightly distinct chin, its corner almost reaching the vertical through the anterior margin of the eye; length of mouth gape approximately equal to its width; upper jaw slightly projecting beyond lower jaw; upper lip thin, its anterior width approximately 1.3-1.5 times the width at the corner of the mouth; dorsal body profile behind head straight or very slightly convex, ventral profile slightly more convex than dorsal profile; anal fin not fleshy; caudal fin deeply forked (length of middle rays 59-68 % of length of lower lobe), lobes slightly pointed; lateral line with 38-42 + 1-2 scales; and anal and pelvic fins without orange pigments on rays in life (Ref. 93268).