Diagnosis: Body slender, elongate, rather round in cross-section, belly rounded, with 2-6 small needle-like pre-pelvic scutes; maxilla tip pointed, reaching to or only just beyond front border of pre-operculum; hind border of pre-operculum convex, rounded; lower gillrakers 20-28; isthmus muscle tapering evenly forward to hind border of branchial membrane; pelvic fin tips not reaching to below dorsal fin origin; anal fin short, with usually 3 unbranched and 16-18 branched finrays, its origin below centre of dorsal fin base; body light transparent fleshy brown, with a silver stripe down flank; no dark pigment lines on back between head and dorsal fin (Ref. 189). Other species with such a short maxilla are Stolephorus advenus, with 7 pre-pelvic scutes, and S. pacificus, with 35-38 gillrakers; maxilla to or almost to hind border of pre-operculum in other Stolephorus species (Ref. 189).

Description: Body slender, elongate, rather round in cross-section, belly rounded (Ref. 189). Tip of upper jaw bluntly pointed; maxilla short, not reaching to gill opening, only to front margin of preopercle (Ref. 2871, 5430, 30573). Isthmus continuous, no silvery plate (Ref. 2871). Lower gill rakers 20-28 (Ref. 189, 5430). Pelvic-fin tip not reaching to dorsal-fin origin; anal-fin origin below dorsal-fin base; Dorsal fin with 3 unbranched and 12-14 branched rays; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 16-18 branched rays; pectoral fin with 1 unbranched and 12-15 branched rays; pelvic fin with 1 unbranched and 6 branched rays (Ref. 5430, 30573). Scales: 38-42 lateral line scales (Ref. 5430). With 2-6 small needle-like pre-pelvic scutes, no post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 189, 5430, 30573).

Colouration: Body light transparent fleshy brown, with a silver stripe down flank; no dark pigment lines on back between head and dorsal fin (Ref. 189).