Diagnosis: Body somewhat compressed, belly a little rounded, with 0-5 small needle-like pre-pelvic scutes; maxilla tip pointed, reaching to or a little beyond hind border of pre-operculum, the latter convex, rounded; lower gillrakers usually 23 to 28; small teeth present on upper edge of hyoid bones; isthmus muscle tapering evenly forward to hind border of branchial membrane; pelvic fin tips reaching to below anterior dorsal finrays; anal fin short, with usually 3 unbranched and 18-19 branched finrays, its origin below second half of dorsal fin base; body light transparent fleshy brown, with a silver stripe down flank; a pair of dark patches behind occiput, followed by a pair of dark lines to dorsal fin origin (Ref. 189). It closely resembles Stolephorus apiensis of Fiji and Samoa, which lacks pigment lines before the dorsal fin; and S. brachycephalus of Papua New Guinea, which has more anal finrays, no hyoid teeth, and more scutes; Stolephorus waitei has characteristic spots on the lower part of the head, and the pelvic fins do not reach to the dorsal fin origin, as also in S. chinensis; other Stolephorus species have the hind border of the pre-operculum concave near the maxilla tip (Ref. 189).

Description: Body somewhat compressed, belly a little rounded (Ref. 189). Snout prominent; maxilla long, reaching to gill opening (Ref. 2871, 30573). Isthmus continuous, no silvery plate (Ref. 2871). Number of gill rakers on upper limb 17-21, on lower limb 23-28 (Ref. 122132). Pelvic-fin tip reaching beyond dorsal-fin origin; anal-fin origin below dorsal-fin base (Ref. 30573). With 0-5 small needle-like pre-pelvic scutes; no post-pelvic scutes (Ref. 189, 30573).

Colouration: Body light transparent fleshy brown, with a silver stripe down flank; a pair of dark patches behind occiput, followed by a pair of dark lines to dorsal fin origin (Ref. 189).