[2][3] It lives in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo, possibly also in southern India and China.

[3] The body is stocky, high and heavily flattened on the sides.

The mouth is narrow, small and only slightly protractile (can be pushed forward).

[1] It commonly inhabits slow-flowing and stagnant waters in medium-sized rivers, lakes, ponds and swamps and is mainly found near the banks where there is plenty of vegetation.

It feeds on algae, parts of plants, fruits, seeds, aquatic insects and small crustaceans.