This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: unique colour pattern, consisting of two longitudinal rows of small brown rounded spots, one along the lateral midline of body and the other on the dorsal part of flank, overlapped by minute pale brown dots scattered over the entire flank and dorsum; jaw teeth incisiform; dorsal procurrent rays in the caudal fin (18 or 19); large lateral fleshy lobe of the mouth, its largest length occupying about three-fourths of the lower jaw length excluding lobes; anterior section of the infraorbital canal absent; long postero-lateral process of the autopalatine, its length about equal to the autopalatine length; ventral procurrent rays in the caudal fin (13-15); and fewer vertebrae (37-39 vs. 41-42) (Ref. 128385).