Characterized by the presence of 3 (rarely 2) large sharp teeth on the supraoral bar and three sharp points on each of the central lateral tooth plates. Dorsal fins arise far back on the body, the anterior fin lower and shorter, higher in males; lower lobe of caudal fin larger than upper, the lobes joined to dorsal and anal fins; anal fin rudimentary, virtually absent in males. Adults from the sea blue-black to greenish above, silvery to white below; spawning adults become reddish brown (Ref. 27547). Other diagnostic characters: oral disc as wide or wider than head; usually 64-71 trunk myomeres; dark blue or brown above, light or silver below (Ref. 86798).

Adults: 9.6-80.0 cm TL. Specimens 38-62 cm TL weigh 120-510 g wet weight. Body proportions, as percentage of TL (based on 274 specimens measuring 9.6-71.6 cm TL): prebranchial length, 9.8-18.0; branchial length, 7.8-12.6; trunk length, 40.3-54.0; tail length, 23.6-34.9; eye length, 1.3-4.5; disc length, 4.6-9.1. The urogenital papilla length, as a percentage of branchial length, in two spawning males measuring 21.1-21.7 cm TL, 12.0-12.5. Trunk myomeres, 60-71 (may be as low as 57 and as high as 78). Dentition: marginals, 48-62; supraoral lamina, 3 unicuspid teeth, the median one being smaller; infraoral lamina, 5-6 unicuspid teeth, predominantly 5; 4 endolaterals on each side; endolateral formula, typically 2-3-3-2, the first endolateral rarely unicuspid and the second and third endolaterals rarely bicuspid; 2 rows of anterials; first row of anterials, either 1 or 5 unicuspid teeth; exolaterals absent; 1 row of posterials, 12-21 teeth, of which 0-5 may be bicuspid and the remainder unicuspid; transverse lingual lamina, 14-23 unicuspid teeth, the median one slightly enlarged; longitudinal lingual laminae parentheses-shaped, each with 20-27 unicuspid teeth [50-63 according to McPhail and Lindsey (1970)]. Velar tentacles, 10-18, with tubercles; the dorsal wings may each consist of up to 5-6 long tentacles that reach the median tentacle. Median tentacle about the same length as the lateral ones immediately next to it. Four of five specimens from the Sprague River did not possess wings and had 7-10 tentacles. Body coloration (preserved), dorsal, lateral, and ventral aspects bluish gray in older individuals and ventral aspect either dark gray or almost white in recently metamorphosed individuals. Lateral line neuromasts unpigmented or darkly pigmented. Caudal fin pigmentation, +++. Caudal fin shape, rounded or spade-like. Oral fimbriae, 94-105. Oral papillae, 12-18 (Ref. 89241).