Can be diagnosed from its congeners in Western Balkans and Adriatic basin by the following characters: 44-51 scales on lateral line; free margin of each flank scale with a row of black pigments, forming a regular reticulate pattern and anterior half of exposed field of each flank scale lacking conspicuous broad dark spot; dorsal fin usually with 8-9½ branched rays; anal fin with 9-10½ (usually 10½ ) branched rays; eye diameter 19-23% HL; head shallow, conical; snout stout, markedly rounded; lower jaw short, length less than depth of operculum; and mouth subterminal (Ref. 59043).