Larger specimens are far easier to discern, because of marked differences in color and body shape.

By the time both species attain sexual maturity, they become relatively easy to tell apart from one another, the silver bream's scales remaining a bright, highly reflective, silver colour all their lives, whilst the scales of the bronze bream begin to take on a variety of hues, from dark brown to a light ochre yellow; however, some bronze bream do remain a silvery colour all their lives, depending upon habitat.

The maximum weight a silver bream varies with the habitat quality, but in optimum conditions can be 1.6 kg (3 lb 8 oz).

The female is less compressed than the male, has a rounded form by comparison, and is a little deeper overall, often with a pronounced bulge of the chest.

The bulge in the chest is absent, and he may only be two-thirds the width of a comparative female of the same length, and consequently weigh far less.

Silver bream have light pink to vermilion pectoral and ventral fins.