This species can be diagnosed from all congeners in Turkey and adjacent waters by the following combination of characters (none unique to the species): a well developed and generally scaleless ventral keel between pelvic and anal fins; body depth at dorsal-fin origin 31-36% SL; caudal-peduncle depth 12-13% SL and 1.5-1.7 times in SL; predorsal length 56-60% SL; dorsal-fin origin approximately vertical to mid-point pelvic-anal distance; mouth terminal, the tip of mouth cleft between level of middle of pupil and lower margin of pupil; snout with slightly pointed tip; 37-43 + 1-2 scales on lateral line, 9-10 scale rows between lateral-line and dorsal-fin origin, 4-5 scale rows between lateral-line and anal fin origin; anal fin with 13½-15½ branched rays; pharyngeal teeth 4.2-2.5, markedly hooked; total vertebrae 41-42 with mode of 41, comprising 20-21 with mode of 21 abdominal and 20-21 with mode of 20 caudal vertebrae; dark grey stripe slightly distinct in anterior part of body but clearly distinct in posterior part of body, its width greater than eye diameter; pigmentation of lateral-line distinct along lateral-line in anterior part of body but slightly distinct in posterior part of body (Ref. 94737).