Body strongly compressed and deep. Head profile very steep in adults but relatively straight from snout to nape; eye diameter about equal to or smaller than snout length; both jaws with bands of villiform teeth, the bands widest anteriorly; vomerine tooth patch wedge-shaped without a postero-median extension; gillrakers (including rudiments) 10 to 15 upper, 20 to 24 lower and 31 to 37 total on first gill arch. Two separate dorsal fins, the first with 8 spines, the second with 1 spine and 19 to 22 soft rays; anal fin with 2 detached spines followed by 1 spine and 16 to 18 soft rays; lobe of second dorsal fin elongate and filamentous, loner than head length;