A thick bodied minnow with large, silver, metallic looking scales that overlap in half circles. The snout extends slightly beyond the upper lip. The mouth terminates at the front end of the eye, which is relatively large. There is a small barbell attached to the groove at the corner of the mouth, but it is absent or difficult to see in some individuals. Young fallfish appear to have a dark lateral band which can make them difficult to distinguish from other juvenile minnows. Common shiners, unlike fallfish, have diamond shaped scales which slough off easily and become crowded just behind the gills.