[1] This species can reach a length of 67.0 centimetres (26.4 in) and a weight of 6.0 kilograms (13.2 lb).

It is gray-white in color with dark vertical bars and a whitish belly.

[3][4] The barred sand bass eats other fish, especially plainfin midshipman, and some invertebrates.

[3] The species forms spawning aggregations in the warmer months and is a pelagic spawner, releasing eggs freely into the water.

[4] Like other species of genus Paralabrax, the barred sand bass can change sex, with individuals turning from female to male as they age and grow larger, but most do not.