Distinguished by the following combination of characters: snout conical; upper and lower jaws covered by horny sheath and with sharp edges; absence of processus dentiformis on upper jaw; absence of notch on lower jaw; upper lip ended by labial barbels; lower lip widely interrupted in middle, with lateral rounded pads on each side and unpaired pad (with oval posterior part) between them; both lips smooth; lateral line complete or almost complete, with 50-67 pores; absence of axillary lobe at pelvic fin base; and body with 11-12 black transversal stripes, most often, joined into six large blocs with light areas between them along middle line of dorsum or flank. Possesses 61-64 scales in specimens with complete lateral line and 50-67 perforated scales in specimens with incomplete lateral line (Ref. 93745).