The yellowstripe scad is a small species, attaining a maximum length of 22 cm, but is more common at lengths less than 15 cm. The species has a body shape typical of many scads, with a compressed elongate, oblong body with the dorsal and ventral profiles equally curved. There is a fairly well developed adipose eyelid on the latter half of the eye. The dentition of the yellowstripe scad is one of the diagnostic features of the species, with the upper jaw and mouth being devoid of any teeth while the lower has a single series of fine villiform teeth. The dorsal fin is in two parts; the first having 8 spines and the second 1 spine and 24 to 26 soft rays. The anal fin has 2 detached spines followed by 20 to 23 soft rays. In one recorded case these two spines were not present. The soft dorsal and anal fins both have scaly basal sheaths. The pectoral fin is falcate and doesn't reach the junction of the curved and straight sections of the lateral line. The pectoral girdle has no groove, and is another defining characteristic. The anterior curve in the lateral line is moderate, with the straight section containing 13 to 25 scales and 24 to 29 small scutes. The breast is completely scaled. There are 40 to 46 gill rakers in total and 24 vertebrae.
