Back gr eenish-grey to brownish with bluishtints and flank crossed by irregular oblique bars. Finscolored with strong orange margins. Females dorsal finwith a dark eye-spot. Iris reddish. Peritoneum silvery.Bear teeth on jaws, vomer and palatines. Gill openingswide and gill membranes united but free from isthmus.Gill rakers minute. Lateral line displaced down. Shortand S-shaped gut. Anterior nostril tubular and hangs overupper lip. Bear a paired air breathing suprabranchial organs.In still waters or large rivers and in mud amongemergent plants. Tolerates temperatures above 13°C andbrackish waters. Maximum age 6 years and total length33 cm. Maturity at 20 months and 10-13 cm. Mouthbrooders and one or both adults guard nest and young.Breeding throughout the year with a peak in May-Augustand October-December. Spawning over silt or gravel bottoms,or builds a nest in areas of cleared vegetation. Releasedeggs fall in water while those fertilized float. Malepicks up eggs in his mouth and keeps them there for 4-5days until hatching. Absolute fecundity up to 7200 goldenyellow eggs of 2.6 mm in diameter. Young fish feedon unfertilized eggs from mother for about 4 weeks.Nocturnal ambush predator. Food mainly include insectsand crustaceans, also fishes and frogs.