Back and upper flank br ownish, lower flankyellowish, and belly whitish. Upper flank scales outlinedwith pigment. Iris silvery. Peritoneum black. Dorsal finspine serrated and strong. Inferior mouth with moderateto thick fleshy lips, with or without a median lower liplobe. Two pairs of relatively thin barbels. Anterior barbelnot extend past anterior eye margin and posterior one notpast posterior eye margin. Pelvic axillary scale rudimentary.Gill rakers reach second raker when appressed. Interiorraker surface may be with spinules. Pharyngeal teethhooked at tip but spoon-like below. Gut elongate andcomplexly coiled with one anterior and three posteriorloops. In rivers, moving into lakes and marshes onfloods. Maximum age 7 years, total length 94 cm andweight 8.5 kg. Sexual maturity at 3 years, 32 cm totallength and 305 g weight. A major spawning in April anda lesser one in October, on gravel beds and in fast water.Absolute fecundity up to 100,000 eggs with a diameter of1.5 mm. Food include benthic organisms, such as insects,plant remains and detritus, and fish, in large individuals.