Back dar k gr een to br own with ir r egulardark spots. Flanks olive to silvery and belly silverywhite.Peritoneum silvery with large and widely spacedmelanophores. Body compressed. Protractile mouth withteeth in bands, on each jaw. No scales, but a series ofscutes along flank. Elongate gill raker reaching as far asfourth adjacent raker when appressed. A well-developedcaudal peduncle keel. Gut short and S-shaped. Breedingmales develop a red belly and throat, blue sides, lightblue back and bright blue eyes. Inhabit inshore coastalwaters, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams or anadromous.Maximum age 4 years and total length 11 cm. Maturityin first year. Sex ratio 1male:2.6females. Spawning fromMarch to October, peaking in April. Male builds barrelshapednest in shallow, sandy areas from plant fragmentsglued together with kidney secretions. Male with a complexcourtship dance leads females to nest. Several femalesmay spawn in one nest. Mean absolute fecundity1240 yellowish eggs of 1.8 mm in diameter. Male guardsand fans eggs and fry. Food include crustaceans, insects,snails, worms, fish eggs and fry.