Cos allargat, lateralment comprimit, més alt que ample, amb poques escates i de color blanc argentat amb línies gruixudes de color negre que tenen la forma de la lletra "Y".
Presenta una espina petita sortint al costat de l'ull, la qual utilitza en casos extrems com a defensa.[6]
En captivitat, és molt actiu (sobretot, durant la nit), emet uns espetecs característics quan menja a la superfície i acostuma a jugar a estar mort fent voltes en cercle o nedant cap per avall.[7]
↑ 1,01,1 Chaudhuri, B. L., 1912. XXXV. Descriptions of some new species of freshwater fishes from north India. Records of the Indian Museum (Calcutta). V. 7 (pt 5): 437-444, Pls. 38-41.
↑ Mirza, M.R., 2003. Checklist of freshwater fishes of Pakistan. Pakistan J. Zool. Suppl. Ser. (3): 1-30.
↑ Yaqoob, M., 2002. Cold water fisheries of Pakistan. A: T. Petr i D.B. Swar (eds.). Cold Water Fisheries in the Trans-Himalayan Countries. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. 431.
↑ Daniels, R.J.R., 2002. Freshwater fishes of Peninsular India. Madhav Gadgil (ed). India-A lifescape 2. Universities Press, Hyderabad. viii+287.
↑ Kapoor, D., R. Dayal i A.G. Ponniah, 2002. Fish biodiversity of India. National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow, l'Índia. 775 p.
↑Al-Mamun, A., 2003. A hand guide for identification of inland fishes of Bangladesh. WorldFish Centre-Bangladesh.
↑ Rahman, A.K.A., 1989. Freshwater fishes of Bangladesh. Zoological Society of Bangladesh. Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka. 364 p.
↑ Shrestha, J., 1994. Fishes, fishing implements and methods of Nepal. Smt. M.D. Gupta, Lalitpur Colony, Lashkar (Gwalior), Índia. 150 p.
↑ Shrestha, T.K., 2002. Cold water fisheries development in Nepal. A: T. Petr i D.B. Swar (eds.) Cold Water Fisheries in the Trans-Himalayan Countries. FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. 431.
↑ Mirza, M.R. i T. Omer, 1984. A key to the identification of the freshwater fishes of Baluchistan. Biologia 30(1):73-91.
↑ Talwar, P.K. i A.G. Jhingran, 1991. Inland fishes of India and adjacent countries. Vol 1. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam. 541 p.
ASAP, Aquarium Science Association of the Philippines, 1996. Aquarium species in the Philippines. ASAP Aquarist Database Report. 9 p. Quezon City, Filipines.
Bassleer, G., 1997. Color guide of tropical fish diseases: on freshwater fish. Bassleer Biofish, Westmeerbeek, Bèlgica. 272 p.
Grabda, E. i T. Heese, 1991. Polskie nazewnictwo popularne kraglouste i ryby. Cyclostomata et Pisces. Wyzsza Szkola Inzynierska w Koszalinie. Koszalin, Polònia. 171 pàgines.
Hanel, L. i J. Novák, 2002. Ceské názvy zivocichu V. Ryby a ryboviti obratlovci (Pisces) 3., maloústí (Gonorhynchiformes) - máloostní (Cypriniformes). Národní muzeum (zoologické oddelení), Praga.
Petrovicky, I., 1988. Aquarium fish of the world. Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., Londres (Regne Unit). 499 p.
Riehl, R. i H.A. Baensch, 1996. Aquarien Atlas, Band 1. 10a. edició. Mergus Verlag GmBH, Melle (Baixa Saxònia), Alemanya. 992 p.
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea i W.B. Scott, 1991. World fishes important to North Americans. Exclusive of species from the continental waters of the United States and Canada. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. (21): 243 p.