Wreckfish are a bass-like species. They are bluish-grey on the back, and paler with a silvery sheen on the belly. They have a deep, strongly compressed body. Their fins are blackish brown and the second dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are often edged in black. Juveniles have black blotches on their head and body. Wreckfish have a big head with a big mouth and a rough bony ridge across the upper part of the gill cover. The soft parts of the dorsal fins are notched, and the lower jaw projects past the upper jaw.