Diagnosis: Body fairly slender, depth about 22-24% of standard length; pre-pelvic scutes not strongly keeled, beginning behind base of last pectoral fin ray; maxilla blade over 4 times as long as its shaft, its lower toothed edge continued forward to meet hind tip of pre-maxilla; second supra-maxilla asymmetrical, lower half larger; lower gillrakers long and slender, 35-40; a distinct silver stripe along flank (Ref. 188, 1878). Its synonym Limnothrissa stappersii is characterised by fewer lower gill rakers, 22-25, fewer anal fin rays, 15-17, and the absence of scutes, and represents possibly a juvenile form of L. miodon (Ref. 188, 26733). It resembles Stolothrissa tanganicae of Lake Tanganyika, which is more slender, has a small eye and a shorter maxilla blade not reaching forward to hind tip of premaxilla (Ref. 188).

Description: Body torpedo-shaped with short fins, pectorals low on body, pelvics behind dorsal origin, anal long-based, caudal forked (Ref. 7248, 52193). Mouth terminal; lower jaw projecting, lower front teeth large, sharply pointed and curved backward; upper jaw without median notch (Ref. 188, 7248, 52193). Gillrakers long and slender, closely set, 35-40 on lower part of anterior arch; number of lower gill rakers 20-25 for Limnothrissa stappersii, which is possibly a juvenile form of L. miodon (Ref. 188, 1878, 26733). Dorsal fin with 13-18 rays, equally distant from centre or posterior border of eye and from root of caudal, longest rays about half length of head; anal fin with 15-19 rays, a long way behind the dorsal, nearer to root of caudal fin than to base of pelvic fins; pectoral fin 3/5 length of head, widely separated from pelvic fin; pelvic fin inserted below anterior third or middle of dorsal, with 1 unbranched and 7 branched rays; caudal fin deeply forked, with pointed lobes (Ref. 188, 1878, 26733, 52193, 93833). Scales small and thin, easily shed; 45-48 scales in longitudinal series; 14 transverse scales (Ref. 1878, 52193). With 11-15 prepelvic and 6-11 postpelvic scutes, with pre-pelvic scutes not strongly keeled and beginning behind base of last pectoral fin ray (Ref. 188, 7248, 26733, 52193). Total number of vertebrae 41-44 (Ref. 26733).

Colouration: Olive above; silvery below, with a blue indistinct lateral band; dorsal and caudal greyish, other fins white (Ref. 1872, 1878).