This species is distinguished from all other species of the Galaxias olidus complex by the following set of characters: dorsal fin set far back (pre-dorsal fin length about 70.4-74.1 % SL); the long distance between pectoral and pelvic fin bases (30.8-33.8 % SL); caudal fin is shorter than caudal peduncle length and vertical width of expanded caudal fin rays about the same as the body depth through the pectoral fin base; caudal peduncle flanges just reaching adpressed anal fin rays; short head (20.0-20.7 % SL), distinctly shorter than pelvic fin to anal fin length distance, but wide (66.2-71.2 % HL) and deep (44.2-49.9 % SL); snout long (29.2-32.0 % HL); nostrils are short and not visible from ventral view; eye relatively small (16.6-17.8 % HL); inter-orbital gap broad (39.2-41.2 % HL); most posterior extent of mouth usually 0.8 eye diameter below ventral margin of eye; dorsal and anal fin bases are short (8.3-10.1 and 8.8-10.7 % SL), with anal fin length/length of anal fin base ratio high (147-163 %); anal fin origin usually under 0.74 distance posteriorly along dorsal fin base; anal fin segmented ray count often 10; gill rakers are moderately long and usually pointed; usually 1, sometimes 2 stout and wide pyloric caecae of moderate length (2.0 % SL); absence of black midlateral bars (Ref. 98815).