Channa shingon can be diagnosed from other species of the C. gachua-complex (Britz, 2008) by having the following characters: lateral head length 27-30 % SL; interorbital width 33-35 % HL; anal fin with 25-27 rays; 44-45 scales on lateral line; 4-5 transverse scales to dorsal- fin origin and 8-9 to anal-fin origin; 1 mandibular scale, 43-44 vertebrae; inferomesial process of parasphenoid very shallow and straight; dorsal profile conspicuously bulging in front of dorsal fin; presence of pelvic fin; juveniles lack ocellus-like mark on posterior part of dorsal fin; pectoral fin with 3-4 broad gray to black bands alternating with cream to white interspaces, width of bands increasing towards distal edge of the fin, interspaces equally wide as bands or narrower (Ref. 116754).