Diagnosis: body deep and strongly compressed, becoming elongate with growth (body depth comprised from 1.3 to 1.8 times in fork length); dorsal profile abrupt; mouth large, upper jaw ending below posterior half of eye; dorsal fin with 7 spines, becoming resorbed and indistinct at about 150 mm fork length, followed by 1 spine and 20-22 soft rays; anal fin with 2 spines, becoming resorbed and indistinct at very small sizes, followed by 1 spine and 18-20 soft rays; 1st dorsal- and anal-fin rays extremely long and filamentous in young individuals, becoming shorter in adults; pectoral fins falcate, longer than head; pelvic fins elongate in young individuals; scales very small and cycloid, hardly visible, absent on some parts of head and body; straight part of lateral line with 4-20 scutes; base of caudal fin with bilateral paired keels (Ref. 57392).
Coloration: silvery, with a faint metallic-blue tint on upper third of body and head; juveniles with 5 dark crossbars on sides (Ref. 57392).
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