[2] It has a large, spineless head with a wide mouth and small eyes near the tip of the snout.

[4] The eggs are reddish-yellow[5] to tangerine[2] in color, about 2 mm (0.08 in) in width, and sticky in texture, adhering to the shell or other nest material.

[2] In the Ariake Sea of Japan the juveniles show a clear preference for the calanoid copepod species Sinocalanus sinensis.

[3] Juveniles have been reared in the laboratory on diets of midge larvae, water fleas, and the brine shrimp Artemia salina.

Pollution from rapid urban development, overfishing, and the construction of dams and dikes threaten the species in this region.