This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: relatively short and rounded caudal fin in specimens above about 60 mm SL; procurrent caudal-fin rays 15-17 dorsal and 10 or 11 ventral; jaw teeth irregularly arranged; opercular odontodes 14-17; longer nasal barbel in specimens above 60 mm SL, reaching area between orbit and opercular patch of odontodes; colour pattern of juveniles, in which the flank is light brownish yellow with small black dots irregularly arranged; odontodes 14-17 opercular and 30-34 interopercular; broader autopalatine, with its largest width about equal to its length; posterior process of the parurohyal, its length about one third of the distance between the anterior margin of the parurohyal and the anterior insertion of the posterior process; 7 pectoral-fin rays; absence of the anterior infraorbital; posterior margin of the caudal fin convex; hypertrophied papillae on the ventral surface of the head absent; pectoral-fin filament absent; 9-10 opercular odontodes; 30-34 interopercular odontodes; 15-17 dorsal procurrent caudal-fin rays; 10 or 11 ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays; dorsal-fin origin at a vertical through the centrum of the 21st or 22nd vertebra; jaw teeth pointed, irregularly arranged; and 39 vertebrae (Ref. 137708).