Diagnosis: Body not strongly compressed, belly rounded before pelvic fins, with 4-9 pre-pelvic and 7-10 post-pelvic scutes, the pre-pelvic scutes ending below the pectoral fin base or behind it; in total 12-18 keeled scutes; maxilla short, reaching to just beyond front border of pre-operculum, tip pointed; gillrakers 18 to 26 (Ref. 189). It closely resembles Thryssa encrasicholoides, which has 1 or 2 small but armless keeled scutes immediately behind the isthmus, also maxilla tip blunter; other species of Thryssa have a complete series of pre-pelvic scutes from isthmus to pelvic fin base; Stolephorus species lack post-pelvic scutes; and Lycothrissa has canine teeth (Ref. 189).

Description: Body fusiform, not strongly compressed; body depth 21.8-27.3% of standard length (Ref. 28, 189, 122607). Head length 25.8-29.3% of standard length; snout length 4.1-5.7% of standard length; eye diameter 5.7-7.0% of standard length (Ref. 122607). Maxilla short; maxilla tip pointed, reaching just beyond lower jaw articulation; upper jaw length 22.7-26.6% of standard length, extension of maxilla beyond 2nd supra-maxilla 1.9-2.5% of standard length; lower jaw length 18.8-22.4% of standard length (Ref. 30573, 122607). Pseudobranch well-developed, slightly longer than eye diameter (Ref. 122607). Gillrakers moderately long and slender, 16-19 epibranchial and 20-23 ceratobranchial gillrakers; branchiostegal rays 12-14 (Ref. 122607). Dorsal fin with 3 unbranched and 11-13 branched rays; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 26-31 branched rays; pectoral fin with 1 unbranched and 12-13 branched rays; pelvic fin with 1 unbranched and 7 branched rays; anal fin origin behind last dorsal ray (Ref. 30573, 122607). Scales caducous, 37-38 in lateral series (Ref. 122607). Scutes present before and behind pelvic-fin base, total 12-18 scutes; no scutes before pectoral-fin origin; 4-9 pre-pelvic scutes and 7-10 post-pelvic scutes; occasionally, a single plate-like scute at isthmus (Ref. 28, 189, 30573, 122607).

Colouration: In alcohol, dorsal surfaces dark brown, flanks and lower part of body light brown or silvery; no silver stripe on flanks; fins hyaline (Ref. 122607).