Diagnostic characters: A medium-sized marine gizzard shad; body very deep, depth increasing with
size of fish (40 to 50% of standard length in fishes over 9 cm); abdomen fully scuted; pelvic scute
with ascending arms. Mouth inferior; upper jaw slender at tip and not strongly turned downward;
upper jaw with distinct median notch when seen from in front; second supramaxilla a mere splint.
Maxilla reaching posteriorly about to a vertical through middle of eye. Lower jaw short, its edges
strongly flared outward. No fleshy outgrowths on posterior margin of gill opening. Opercle
smooth, without bony striae. Lower gill rakers fine and numerous 100 to 166 (for fishes 9 to 18 cm of
standard length); longest gill rakers on lower part of arch less than corresponding gill filaments
(and much less in larger fishes). Dorsal-fin origin distinctly anterior to midpoint of body; last dorsal-fin
ray not filamentous. Anal fin much shorter than head; origin posterior to vertical through base of
posteriormost dorsal-fin ray; with 15 to 19 (usually 15 to 18) branched fin rays. Pelvic-fin insertion about at
vertical through middle of dorsal fin; pelvic fins with i unbranched and 7 branched soft rays. Scales
moderately large, 39 to 43 in lateral series. Predorsal scales forming a single median series,
postdorsal scales with posterior margin elongated. Posterior margins of scales denticulated; with
very narrow gaps between them.