中华倒刺鲃体长而侧扁,头锥形,吻钝,口亚下位,须2对(吻须短,颌须则长达眼径后缘),背鳍起点前有一向前平卧的倒刺隐埋于皮肤下。体背青黑,腹部灰白,各鳍青灰色,后缘为黑色,幼鱼尾鳍基有一黑斑,成鱼不明显。其性成熟一般在3龄～4龄。 Chinese barbed bream body length and side flat, head taper, kiss blunt mouth sub-sub-position, to be 2 pairs (kiss short, maxillary shall be up to the trailing edge of the eye diameter), dorsal fin in front of a barb Buried under the skin. Black body back, gray belly, the fins blue, the trailing edge is black, juvenile caudal fin base has a dark spot, into the fish is not obvious. The sexual maturity is generally 3 to 4 years old.