Can be diagnosed from other species of Glyptothorax in the Irrawaddy River drainage by its thoracic adhesive apparatus, in which the central depression is almost completely enclosed posteriorly by the skin ridges that make up the apparatus, instead of open caudally or, in G. burmanicus, completely closed. Further differs from G. burmanicus in having a larger eye (diameter 10.4-12.7% HL vs. 6.3-10.0), a longer dorsal-fin spine (16.9-21.6% SL vs. 11.9-14.7), and shorter prepectoral (17.1-21.7% SL vs. 22.3-25.4) and prepelvic lengths (47.0-51.3% SL vs. 52.8-59.4). Distinguished from other congeners by having the following combination of diagnostic characters: dorsal-fin spine length 16.9-21.6% SL; dorsal-to-adipose distance 19.8-24.6% SL; body depth at anus 15.2-16.4% SL; caudal peduncle depth 8.2-9.7% SL; total vertebrae 35-36; head width 20.3-21.8% SL; rounded tubercles on the dorsal surface of the head; almost uniform body; nasal barbel length 30.1-35.5% HL; lack ridges of the thoracic adhesive apparatus extending onto the gular region; head length 25.3-28.2% SL; predorsal distance 35.6-37.4% SL; postadipose distance 18.8-20.8% SL; and adipose-fin base length 13.9-15.8% SL; the depressed central in the thoracic adhesive apparatus lanceolate; with a single, non-diverging series of striae running along its edges; anal-fin base length 14.1-17.8% SL; pectoral-fin length 21.2-26.1% SL; lacking plicae on the ventral surfaces of the first pectoral- and pelvic-fin elements; and lacking both a distinct pale midlateral stripe on the body and distinct dark submarginal stripe along each lobe of the caudal fin (Ref. 93787).