Body compressed, deep to slender. Head small, compressed. Mouth 
rather small, inclined, lower jaw protruding in front. Band of villiform 
teeth in each jaw and palate toothless. Tongue broad, partly truncate or 
rounded in front, mostly free. Gill membranes separate. Isthmus rather 
narrow. Lower gill rakers 11, stout, longer posteriorly, tubercular 
anteriorly. Exposed edge of shoulder girdle a smooth, curved ridge. 
Psend©branchiae present. Vertebrae 24 to 31* Scales large, ctenoid, 
about 28 to 35 between pectoral base and hypural bone. Predorsal scales 
forward to between hinder margins of eyes, sometimes leave interorbital 
naked and cover cheek and opercle. Rows of minute pores extend around 
eye, across cheek, behind preopercle and on each side of mandible. Dorsal 
spines 5 to 8, rays 10 to 13• Anal rays 10 to 14. Caudal rour 
Ventral with spine, and 5 rays. 
