Body dar k gr een to br own with blotches andup to 17 bars. Belly white to yellowish. Medial fins yellowishand pectoral, dorsal and caudal fins finely barred.Peritoneum brownish with numerous fine melanophores.Body elongate and compressed. Mouth inferior and nonprotractible.Mouth gape narrow and extends back to anterioreye margin. Tubular anterior nostrils, posteriornostrils far rear and slit-like. Dorsal soft fin preceded byisolated spines. Pelvic fin absent. Two pyloric caeca andelongate swim bladder. Small gill opening. Scales minuteand cycloid. A strong preorbital spine under eye insome. Teeth on jaws and palatine. No gill rakers but spinulosepatches lying flat on arch. Gut elongate and Sshape.In lotic and lentic waters lurking in rock crevicesor among plants. Mostly nocturnal in habits. Maximumage 6 years and total length 1 m. Males generally outnumberedfemales in all age groups. Sexual maturity at 1-2 years, 25 cm total length and 125 g weight. Spawningin June and July, in shallow muddy water among rocks.Absolute fecundity up to 28,000 eggs with a diameter ofup to 2.1 mm. Food include invertebrates and fish.