A medium-sized species with a steeply rounded snout. Mouth small, slightly inferior; no barbel on chin; rostral pores 5, marginal pores 5, the marginal deeply dividing the edge into 4 lobes; mental pores 5; teeth differentiated into large and small in upper jaw only, the large ones close-set, not canine-like, forming the outer series; lower jaw teeth villiform: sagitta (large earstone) with a tadpole-shaped impression, of which the "head" has its long axis lying obliquely to that of the otolith and the "tail" is expanded and deepened as a hollow cone, connected with the "head" by a narrow groove; gillrakers very short, 8 to 10 on lower limb of first arch.