Back olive-green to brown and flanks and bellysilvery-white. A steel blue stripe on caudal peduncle.Fins hyaline yellowish. Peritoneum light. Large, roundedpapillae around genital opening in females. Lateralline incomplete. Scales relatively large and verticaloval. Gill rakers reaching second raker below when appressed.Teeth hooked at tip and strongly serrated. Bellycompressed in mid-line between pelvic fins and ventbut not forming a strong keel. Gut elongate and Sshape.Males smaller and develop prominent nuptialtubercles on head, snout and jaws. In large schools nearsurface, in still or slow waters with vegetated shores.Still water required for reproduction. Tolerant to temperaturesof 3-33°C, pH and salinity fluctuations. Maximumage 6 years, total length 56 mm and weight 1.5 g.Several spawning occur over a few weeks in March-September. Eggs laid in strings around plants aided byfold of skin around genital opening or laid in a discshapedpatch on flat surfaces. Male guard, fan and covereggs with mucus. Absolute fecundity up to 800 eggsof 1.5 mm in diameter. Food include zooplankton, insectlarvae, flying insects and other invertebrates.