Diagnostic characters: An elongate fish with a prolonged, beak-like lower jaw, shorter than head length, its length contained 4.7 to 8.6 times in standard length and 1.1 to 2 times in head length, decreasing with growth; upper jaw short, scaly, blunt and rounded, its width contained 0.5 to 0.6 times in its length; preorbital bone 1.75 to 2.15 times in diameter of orbit and 0.9 to 1.15 times in length of upper jaw; preorbital ridge (bony ridge between nasal opening and eye) present; posterior branch to preorbital lateral-line canal present. Total number of gill rakers on first gill arch 26 to 39, usually 27 to 31 (except in Australia, usually 31 to 35), 6 to 14 on upper and 18 to 25 on lower limb of arch. Dorsal-fin rays 14 to 17 (usually 16), anal-fin rays 13 to 17 (usually 15 or 16); pectoral fins short with 11 to 13 rays; pelvic fins located approximately half way between origin of pectoral fin and base of caudal fin, distance from pelvic-fin origin to caudal-fin base contained 0.9 to 1.05 times in distance from pectoral-fin origin to pelvic-fin origin; caudal fin forked, with lower lobe longer than upper. Anterior part of dorsal fin and all of anal fin covered with scales; predorsal scales 36 to 43 (usually 37 to 40)