Genus Chelon Artedi, 1793

Diagnosis. Moderately deep body, mouth wide ventrally, lower lip thin, not curved downwards, no crenulations, papillae or folds, upper lip thick, posterior tip of maxilla sigmoid, curved over pre-maxilla and visible when mouth closed. Teeth absent in lower lip. Adipose eye-fold weakly developed usually forms a narrow rim around eye. Wide pre-orbital bone filling space between eye and lip. Nostrils nearer to each other than to eye or lip. Insertion of pectoral fin level with or slightly below upper rim of eye, not reaching to the level of first dorsal fin. Pectoral axillary scale is rudimentary or absent. Caudal fin is forked. Scales either ctenoid or cycloid but without denticulations on hind margin.