Relatively slender among chubs, it has larger eyes than most and a terminal mouth that extends back nearly as far as the forward edge of the eye. Color is  a nondescript dusky shade on the back and silvery on the sides; the name comes from the males at breeding time, whose snout becomes noticeably blue, along with orange tinges on the sides and the fins.
Relatively slender among chubs, it has larger eyes than most and a mouth that extends back nearly as far as the forward edge of its eye. Its color is dusky on the back and silvery on the sides; the name comes from the males during breeding season, whose snout turns blue along with orange tinges on the sides and fins.