Diagnosis: snout pointed; mouth at an angle of about 20-30° with the horizontal (Ref. 53940, 81260). Teeth usually only in 2 series (Ref. 53940). Lower pharyngeal bone very slender with a relatively long blade (Ref. 53940), markedly longer than wide (Ref. 81260). Lower jaw with a slight mental process; can always be recognised when freshly caught by the blood that swells the capillaries, especially at the bases of the fins, and oozes over the surface, staining its silvery color; no dark markings on body of freshly caught specimens; 2-5 dark blotches appear between upper lateral line and dorsal fin, and sometimes also a vague dark stripe at the level of the horizontal myoseptum, in preserved specimens (Ref. 53940).

Description: relatively robust (body depth 36.5-40.0% SL); interorbital width 23.5-28.3% HL (Ref. 81260). Frontal profile straight (Ref. 51307, 81260). Snout pointed (Ref. 52307, 53940). Mouth at an angle of about 20-30° with the horizontal (Ref. 53940, 81260). Teeth usually only in 2 series (Ref. 53940, 81260), outer row of upper jaw with 45-66 fine, obliquely spatulate bicuspid teeth, inner rows tricuspid (Ref. 81260). Scales on cheek in 2 series, usually expanding to 3 on the anterior part (Ref. 53940). Lower pharyngeal bone very slender with a relatively long blade (Ref. 53940, 81260). Lower jaw with a slight mental process; microbranchiospines present on outer sides of second, third and fourth arches (Ref. 53940). Gill rakers small (Ref. 81260).

Coloration: dorsal lappets black-tipped; no tilapia mark (Ref. 53940). Freshly caught: body silvery; fins tinged watery yellow; snout dark (Ref. 53940, 81260). Preserved: 2-5 dark blotches appear between upper lateral line and dorsal fin, and sometimes also a vague dark stripe at the level of the horizontal myoseptum (Ref. 53940, 81260). Faint traces of 8-10 vertical bars on upper half of body in specimens of 6-7cm SL (Ref. 53940). Body brownish; cheeks and opercles sometimes appear bronze; thin, black horizontal band occasionally visible on caudal peduncle (Ref. 52307).