Anterior section of body depressed, tapered and gradually compressed backward; head large and without spine; snout with nostril spine; eyes small and nearer to tip of snout; interorbital space convex or widely flat; mouth large, upper jaw slightly projected and reaching rear edge of eyes; teeth filiform; preopercular with largest spines; gill opening large, pseudobranch present and gill rakers small; scales absent but with small knobbles on body; lateral lines straight. Dorsal fin Ⅷ， 19-20 and orinin situated right behind head; anal fin 17-18; pectoral fin rounded and position lower, rays in lower unbranched; pelvic fin Ⅰ，5 and thoracic; caudal fin truncate. Body color grayish brown on top and sides, with 4 longitude bands; white on abdomen; branchial membrane with 2 orange oblique stripe; fins grayish yellow and anterior dorsal fin with a black spot

为东亚暖温带沿海的降河洄游鱼类。为肉食性底层小型鱼，体长可达120-140mm。一龄即达性成熟。在江苏省南部约11月底开始游向河口及浅海；初期11-12月雄鱼较多，后期1-2月雌鱼较多。性腺在游入海水时逐渐成熟。产卵场牡蛎礁多的潮间带。在贝壳穴洞内产卵，2-3月为产卵盛期，洞口多向南，满潮时水温4-5℃，盐度为3.0%-3.2%。怀卵量为5 100-12 800粒。卵粘在穴顶壁上结为块状。卵黄色、橘黄或橘红色。每穴一尾雄鱼。产卵后雌鱼离去由雄鱼守护。繁殖期不索食，到6月海内绝迹返河湖内索食。卵孵化约需26天。初仔全长5.3-6.3mm，常静卧水底。14天后全长9.0-9.6mm出现牙齿及鳍条。4月中旬始游向近岸；6月初平均全长约38.5mm时游向淡水河湖内索食。稍大在河湖内昼伏夜出，以虾类及小鱼等为食

从渤海近岸至厦门沿海的通海河溪,入鸭绿江,黄河下游,上海松江和钱塘江等