Diagnosis: mouth broad; premaxillary tooth plate broad and unnotched, its width 27.5-33.9% of head length, and 5-7.5 times as broad as long; head not swollen; vomerine tooth plate not interrupted on the vomer (adults); palatine tooth plates poorly developed, confined to one dermo-palatine band, forming a small band (on each side) confluent with the vomerine plate; nasal barbel long, as long as (juveniles) or twice as long as (adults) eye diameter; mandibular barbels stout; 13-14 crenulated gill rakers on lower limb of first arch; chin papillose (Ref. 57126).

Description: nasal barbels present; very short first dorsal spine; well developed second spine, weakly denticulate along posterior margin; pelvic fin with 1 unbranched and 5 branched soft rays; anal fin with 4-5 unbranched and 8-9 branched soft rays (Ref. 57126).

Coloration: live specimens rather uniformly brown or blackish on head and back and lighter, almost white, on belly (Ref. 57126).