Male with 9-16 light flank bars alternating withdarker broad bars. Paired and anal fins orange-yellow. Edgeof caudal fin yellow. Dorsal fin white with a blue-blackband in center and at base. Females with a slight bluish tingesto their flanks and brown spots. No large and lozengeshapedspot on central caudal fin base. Scales small, regularand overlapping. Up to 21 teeth in upper jaw and in a singlerow. Gill rakers short, just reaching adjacent raker when appressed.Gut with a single large loop. Head length anddepth, fin lengths, and caudal peduncle shape significantlydifferent between the sexes. In small freshwater pools,streams and marshes with slow current, 4-29°C, pH=6.2-8.5and conductivity 200-450 μS. Bottom muddy, interspersedwith pebbles and covered by aquatic plants. Males territorial.Maximum age 3 years, total length 76 mm and weight 5g. Spawning from March to May with a peak in early April.Eggs hatch in 9-13 days at 21-22ºC. Absolute fecundity upto 650 yellowish eggs with a diameter of up to 1.2 mm.Eggs adhesive and attach to plants in small patches (3-30).Food include algae, crustaceans, snail eggs and fish larvae.