This species is distinguished by having the following characters: body subovate and compressed, becoming elongate-ovate and slightly subcylindrical with age; profile of head and nape slightly angular becoming more steep with age; mouth cleft of adults distinctly below level of eye; D1 VIII, D2 I,25-30, lobe of second dorsal fin shorter than head length; A II (2 detached spines) + I, 21-26 (rarely 25 or 26); gill rakers (including rudiments) 6-8 + 17-21 = 22-27; vertebrae 10 + 14; straight part of lateral line with 18-27 scales followed by 15-21 small scutes; breast naked ventrally to distinctly behind origin of pelvic fins; breast squamation variable laterally, either separated from naked base of pectoral fins by a moderate to very narrow band of scales or naked area of breast uninterrupted to naked base of pectoral fins; colour of adults iridescent blue-green above, silvery below; with numerous small gold or brassy spots mainly on dorsal half; large adult with 3 (to 5) irregular black blotches on flanks (sometimes very indistinct or absent, the first below dorsal-fin lobe, the second at inflection point of lateral line, and the third slightly anterior to midpoint of straight part of lateral line (Ref. 9894, 90102).

Description: Both jaws with bands of villiform teeth, the bands widest anteriorly; vomerine tooth patch ovate, without a posteromedian extension. Lateral line anteriorly with a low regular arch, with junction of curved and straight parts below vertical from between 13th-16th soft rays of second dorsal fin; chord of curved part of lateral line longer than straight part of lateral line, contained 0.7 to 0.95 times in straight part. Opercular spot dusky and inconspicuous; dorsal and anal fins dusky yellow, the latter with leading edge and distal margin whitish blue; caudal fin olive-yellow with upper leading edge and trailing edges dusky; pelvic fins whitish blue (Ref. 9894).