Body elongate, cylinder-shaped and slightly compressed rearward; length of head longer than depth of body; snout projected; mouth large, terminal and slit reaching backward beneath front edge of eyes; upper lip thick, lower jaw with a hard knoble in tip; barbell absent; eyes large and convex, located higher; interorbital space flat; length behind head far longer than length of snout; gill openings large; lateral line scales 90-100. Origins of dorsal and pelvic fins opposite each other; no hard ray in dorsal fin; caudal fin pointed and deeply forked, other fins thort. Body color in life dark gray tinted with dark red on back and lateral and belly silvery white, 3 to 4 rows of scales with black stripes along central anxis, rear section darker and back of caudal peduncle bright red

生活在大江河和湖泊的开阔水域，为中、上层鱼类，善泳。亦喜栖自己人在底质多岩石的场所。性成熟年龄较迟，生殖季节一般在3—5月份。产卵需有流水条件，故多在激流沙滩处繁殖。卵黄色，分批产。幼鱼无明显的集群现象，栖息在支流的缓流或静水中。每年涨水逆江而上，退水顺江而下。幼鱼食浮游动物和鱼苗。成鱼专以鱼类为食。

西江