The golden lined whiting has a very similar profile to other members of the genus "Sillago", with a slightly compressed, elongate body tapering toward the terminal mouth. It differs from some members of the genus in that its ventral profile is more rounded than most other species, which tend to have a flat profile. The number of spines and rays, vertebrae and swim bladder morphology are other distinguishing features. "S. analis" has a first dorsal fin consisting of 11 spines followed by a second dorsal fin consisting of one spine and between 16 and 18 soft rays. The anal fin has 2 spines followed by 14 to 17 soft rays. Over the distribution of the species, the vertebrae number differs, with fish in Western Australia having 33 and those in south east Queensland having one or two additional modified vertebrae. Also varying over the range is the lateral line scale count, with Western Australian fish having less than Queensland fish, with the range for the species between 54 and 61 scales.