Diagnosis: Body rather compressed, belly rounded, with 6 to 9 thin unkeeled pre-pelvic scutes followed by an equally thin pelvic scute, all with slender ascending arms; no post-pelvic scutes; snout pointed, lower jaw a little prominent, with a single row of fine teeth in each jaw; posterior supra-maxilla paddle-shaped; gillrakers 39 to 76, gillrakers small but present on posterior face of third epibranchial; pelvic fin with i-7 finrays, under or a little before dorsal fin origin (Ref. 188). Resembles Spratelloides species or juvenile Etrumeus and Dussumieria, but pre-pelvic scutes present; other clupeids occuring in same area have keeled pre-pelvic and post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 188).

Description: Body compressed, fusiform; belly rounded; fins short, pectorals low on body, pelvics before dorsal, anal long-based, caudal forked (Ref. 3259; 7248, 52193). Mouth upturned, eyes large (Ref. 7248, 52193). Upper jaw rounded when seen from front (Ref. 188). Lower gillrakers apparently highly variable, 39-76 (Ref. 3259, 118219). Dorsal fin with 3 unbranched and 11-12 branched rays; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 17 branched rays; pectoral fin with 1 unbranched and 10-11 branched rays; pelvic fin with 1 unbranched and 7 branched rays; pelvic fin base in front of dorsal fin base; pelvic fin reaching more than halfway to anus (Ref. 3259, 7248, 52193). Scales light and easily shed, about 40 in longitudinal series; transverse scales 9-10 (Ref. 7248, 52193, 118219). Belly with 6-9 thin scutes before pelvic fin, only visible when belly scales removed and surface dried; no post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 3259).

Colouration: Silvery; top and sides of head and body thickly sprinkled with black dots; brilliant silver lateral stripe, on hind part of side; back dark (Ref. 3259, 36031). In alcohol: a uniform light brown with a faint midlateral silvery band; individual bases of dorsal and anal rays black pigmented; two short dark pigment lines at base of anal, one almost horizontal along upper border, the other oblique on lower border (Ref. 118219).