Unpair ed fins with clear mar gins in males,no bars on caudal fin and 10-15 well defined flank bars.Head dorsal surface and upper flank more heavily pigmentedthan ventral areas. Belly and lower head unpigmented.A rim of melanophores underscores eye in bothsexes. Dorsal fin with irregular pigmentation. Pairedfins in males clear or milky and opaque and withoutmelanophores. Females with similar pigmentation butlighter. Fins have little or no pigmentation. Femaleswith an oval spot at central base of caudal fin. Flank infemales with up to 14 thin, dark and irregular verticalpatches. Often patches broken up into spots and elongateblotches of various sizes. In rivers and canalsbranching from Karkheh River with a slow current, amud bottom and plant materials mainly rushes, reedsand filamentous green algae. Water temperature of 15-22°C, pH=6 and conductivity of 1000-1800 μS. Maximumtotal length 35 mm. Reproduction in January toApril. Maturity in the first year at 22 mm total length.Food include filamentous algae and insect larvae.