Back and upper head blue-green or darkgreen. Flanks greenish-grey to silvery and belly silveryto yellowish-white. Snout black. Iris white. Dorsal, anal,adipose and caudal fins dark, pectoral and pelvic finsdark at tips. Mouth small, inferior and lacks evidentteeth. Gill rakers sparse and short or long and dense. Noparr marks in juveniles. Gill membrane free from isthmus.Pelvic axillary process present. Males may bearrows of elongate tubercles on scales. In large and deeplakes with high dissolved oxygen content. However, tolerantof warm water and even a measure of pollution.Spawning in rivers and in schools. Maximum age 20years, total length 80 cm and weight 8 kg. Maturity at 3-5 years and 25-35 cm total length. Spawning migrationin summer but mostly peaks in autumn. Spawning insummer, autumn or winter. Absolute fecundity up to82,250 yellow eggs of up to 3 mm in diameter and slightlyadhesive. Food mostly include plankton and also benthiccrustaceans, molluscs and insect larvae.