Diagnosis: Body somewhat compressed, belly with 4-8 small needle-like pre-pelvic scutes; a small pre-dorsal spine in some specimens; maxilla tip pointed, reaching to or beyond hind border of pre-operculum, the latter concave, indented near maxilla tip; lower gillrakers 21 to 28; fine teeth on upper edge of hyoid bones; anal fin short, usually with 3 unbranched and 14-17 branched finrays, its origin below about middle of dorsal fin base; a double pigment line on back behind dorsal fin; tail deep yellow, at least in Indian specimens (Ref. 189). Of species with an indented pre-operculum, Stolephorus andhraensis has fewer gillrakers, 20-21, and S. ronquilloi has more gillrakers, 28-30; other species with a pre-dorsal spine also have a spine on the pelvic scute, like in S. dubiosus, S. baganensis and S. tri; hyoid tooth patches are present in S. commersonnii, but pre-operculum rounded, scutes usually 1-4, and in S. carpenteriae, but no pigment lines on back, anal origin under anterior part of dorsal fin base (Ref. 189).

Description: Body somewhat compressed (Ref. 189). Maxilla tip pointed, reaching to or beyond hind border of pre-operculum (Ref. 30573). Number of gillrakers on upper limb 16-20, gillrakers on lower limb 21-28 (Ref. 189, 122132). Anal-fin origin below dorsal-fin base (Ref. 30573). With 4-8 small needle-like pre-pelvic scutes, no post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 189, 30573).

Colouration: A double pigment line on back behind dorsal fin; tail deep yellow, at least in Indian specimens (Ref. 189, 30573).