Adult: silvery grey; nape and upper back greenish yellow; upper half with 3 strong black stripes, thickest from snout, through eye to end of tail base; thin black stripes between the thick ones; lower body dark to black; yellow saddle on upper tail base; dorsal fin yellowish outer part, dusky inner part; tail and anal fin dark, with broad yellowish rear edges; pectoral yellowish; pelvic dark, with white front edge; inside mouth red. Juvenile: nape yellow green; 3 black stripes: 1 from snout through eye to tail base, ending in a wedge-shaped black spot on tail fin base; 1 from top of eye back along lateral line to join the first stripe; 1 from above eye along top of back.