Diagnosed from its congeners in Black and Caspian Sea basins by having the following characters: breast scaled between pectorals (at least in some individuals of any population); barbel extending beyond posterior eye margin; in mature males, pectoral reaching 3-4 scales in front of pelvic origin; head length 24-25% SL; head depth 16-17% SL at nape, 50-52% HL at eye; body depth 21-22% SL; head width 15-16% SL, 61-64% HL; eye diameter 4-5% SL, 3.2-3.8 times in head depth, 1.4-1.8 times in interorbital distance (at 7-9 cm SL); caudal peduncle depth 34-37% HL. There is a great variability in shape, barbel length and squamation from populations in different tributaries; two populations groups are recognized, the typical one with long barbels and a short-barbel one, which may represent an undescribed species; also a hybrid zone between Gobio brevicirris and Gobio kunabicus cannot be ruled out (Ref. 59043).