Females olive with gr eenish str ipes, patchesand mottling. Males black and posterior side of ventralspines blue-white in color. Peritoneum silvery. Smallspines usually alternating left and right in front of dorsalfin and slightly curved. First few plates large. No caudalpeduncle keel. Pelvic fin spine serrated. Gill raker shortreaching base of second raker below when appressed.Gut short and S-shaped. With a cryptic life in weed bedsof fresh and brackish waters. Maximum age 3 years andtotal length 85 mm. Maturity in first year at 32 mm.Spawning in late April to mid-June at 17°C, most intensivein mid-May and in dense schools which disperseafter spawning. Absolute fecundity up to 90 eggs with adiameter of 1.5 mm. Males build nests by vegetationglued together with kidney secretions. Male performs azig-zag dance and leads female to nest entrance. Femaleenters nest, deposit eggs and male enters nest to fertilizeeggs. Food include small invertebrates and fish eggs.