Over all color yellowish-grey or brownish-greywith 8-9 large, dark flank blotches. Four saddles acrossback. First dorsal fin with a black blotch posteriorly,over last two rays. Second dorsal fin with a light marginand 3-4 rows of small rusty spots. Iris yellow to orange.Peritoneum silvery. In spawning season males becomecharcoal black overall. A bar from lower eye margin toupper lip, just anterior to mouth corner. Mature maleswith larger fins and swollen cheeks. Posterior nostrilclose to eye margin. Gill rakers on lower arch only andmay reach second adjacent raker when appressed. Snoutlonger than eye diameter. Posterior teeth on dentary bonesmaller than anterior teeth and all blunt. Nape scaledwith cycloid scales. Gut short and S-shaped. In inshorewaters with temperatures of 1-32°C, on all kinds of bottomsand enter rivers. Maximum age 5 years for females,but males die after spawning, and total length 29 cm.Maturity in 1-3 years at 50 mm total length. Spawningfrom April-September in shore areas, at 10-30°C. Repeatspawning up to 6 times every 20 days. Male prepares anest and guards the eggs. Absolute fecundity up to 6,200ovoid, pale yellow to orange eggs with red pigments and3.9 by 2.2 mm size. Food include molluscs, worms,aquatic insects, eggs and small fishes and crabs.