This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: body is not deep, the maximum body depth is usually less than 20% of SL, contained in the body length from 4.7 to 5.7 times; head is small, less than 30% SL long; the minimum body depth exceeds 30% of the length of the head and usually is more than 40% of the length of the caudal peduncle; predorsal distance is greater than postdorsal one; the anal opening is closer to the base of the anal fin than to the base of the pelvic fins; snout length is often less than postorbital distance, rarely equal to it; barbels are relatively long, usually extending beyond posterior margin of the eye, always extending beyond middle of the eye, their length notably exceeding horizontal diameter of the eye; lower lip is interrupted in middle, with a notch between narrower anterior and widening posterior parts; breast in front of line that joins posterior ends of bases of pectoral fins, scales absent; between the beginning of the dorsal fin and the lateral line there are 6-½6 rows of scales, between the base of the ventral fins and the lateral line-½3-4 rows, and around the caudal peduncle 14-18 rows of scales; absence of epithelial ridges on dorsal scales; predorsal scales 13-16, more often 15-16, between the anus and the beginning of the anal fin there are 4-6, more often five preanal scales; along the body there are 10-17, usually more than 12 black spots; and six to seven spots are located after the dorsal fin (Ref. 138319).