Chinese Algae Eater is a bottom-dweller. The most prominent feature is a big suckermouth, which it uses for scraping algae and clinging to objects. There is a special opening on the upper part of the gill cover for the water intake so the fish can breath without using its mouth. This same feature is seen on Suckermouth Catfishes. The fish is light brown and there is a dark grey or brown horizontal pattern on its side, which can be either a zig-zag edged solid stripe or a row of separate spots or anything between these two.
Young specimens are more colorful.
There are some dark patches at the back and small brown spots at the tail. All the other fins are transparent or slightly brownish. Females are larger and fuller, adult males might show spawning tubercles on the head. It moves along all the surfaces of the tank scraping green algae with its suckermouth. Older specimens prefer artificial foods and are rather aggressive.