Over all color gr ey with olive-green tints.Males darker than females and with distinct dark flankand caudal peduncle bars. Females with irregular spotsor blotches along flank mid-line. Anal fin in males darkwith a pale margin and in females pale overall. Largeand minute blotches and spots scattered over head andbody. Peritoneum with large spots ventrally or almostimmaculate. In front of first dorsal fin and in front ofanal fin usually scaleless. Caudal peduncle scaled and arow of scales anteriorly along lateral midline. Gill rakersvery short, not reaching half way to adjacent one whenappressed. Mouth medium and oblique. Gape hardlyreaches the level of anterior eye. Pelvic disc reaches justbefore the anus. Live and reproduce in salinities of up to83‰, also, enters freshwater. Overwinter in deeper waterand migrate into shallow water in April-May. Spawningfrom mid-April to July at 15-27°C . Maximum age 3years and total length 49 mm. Mature in first year at 20mm total length. Sex ratio 1male:1.1females. Absolutefecundity up to 1400 eggs. Batches consist of 80-100 cylindricaleggs of 2.6×1 mm. Larvae pelagic and small.Nest builder and male remains mostly inside nest, aeratingand defending eggs. Food include polychaetes, chironomids,crustaceans, insects, bivalves larvae and fish.