Elongate compressed body; maximum height < ¼ of SL; adult males with a bony crest on the forehead, and a near-vertical front snout profile; mouth large; numerous small teeth in bands on jaws; patch of teeth on tongue is small and oval; a long-based dorsal fin 55-65 rays extending from the nape almost to the tail fin; a long-based anal fin with concave anterior outer edge, extending nearly to the tail fin; a large, deeply forked tail fin; no isolated finlets behind the dorsal or anal fins; pectoral fins > ½ head length; pelvics short, fitting into groove on the belly; small smooth scales; no hard spiny scales (scutes) on lateral line; lateral line with a sharp curve over pectorals.
Back brilliant metallic blue green, shading to golden yellow ventrally, with scattered iridescent blue-green spots; dorsal fin deep blue green; tail, anal, and pelvic fins mainly yellow; small juveniles golden with about 12 dark bars on side. Brilliant colours fade to silvery grey with black spots and dark fins soon after death.
Size: attains 210 cm and 39.6 Kg.
Habitat: pelagic in coastal and oceanic waters.
Depth: 0-85 m.
Circumtropical; throughout the tropical eastern Pacific.
