Head profile slightly convex; relatively wide mouth; jaw teeth very small, nearly indistinguishable on posterior part of upper jaw; 29-32 gill rakers; dorsal I,7-9 (usually 8) long and pointed in male; anal II, 6-7; pectoral usually reaching to middle of pelvic fin; pelvic rays 7 & 8 distorted, converging or in contact at midlength; male sex organ a tube on left side formed by folded anal fin rays, long (reaches to or nearly to the base of the tail fin) and slender, spines or hooks near its tip; scales large, smooth, 28-33 along mid-side.
Olive brown on back, silvery on sides, yellowish on belly; often with 8-10 faint darkish crossbars on flanks of rear ¾ of body, rarely with black speckling or mottling; fins plain.
Size: grows to 15 cm.
Habitat: forms large aggregations amongst mangroves in estuaries and brackish river mouths.
