Lateral line branching below the 4th to the 5th spine of the first dorsal fin; the upper branch reaching the middle to end of the second dorsal-fin base; the lower branch running mid laterally. Body naked except for a large scaly patch extending around the posterior portion of the lower lateral line. The pelvic fin is represented by a single spine in smaller specimens but is entirely absent in specimens over 18 - 20 cm SL. Body color is grayish with silvery tint; the fins hyaline except for the black blotch on the fin membranes between the first and the third first dorsal spines.