This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: dorsal head profile 'S' curved in lateral view, concave above eye and convex at nape; posterior angle of jaws extends to between vertical line drawn through posterior edge of anterior nostril and vertical line drawn through anterior edge of eye; infraorbital invagination below anterior half of eye or below mideye; posterior opercular edge with pointed upper tip and a rounded lower edge; longitudinal infralateral and suborbital transversal rows of superficial neuromasts in a shallow groove disappearing in posterior part of longitudinal infralateral row; cross-section of body behind pectoral fin base triangular with ventral flat and dorsal pointed; body granules large and prominent, at least on posterior part and nape; upper attachment of gill membrane opposite to 3rd-4th pectoral ray; vertical eye diameter 2.0-2.7% of SL; head length 18.9-23.4% of SL; pectoral-fin length 5.4-6.4% of SL; pre-pectoral distance 19.5-23.7% of SL; ventral adhesive disc length 10.2-13.4% of SL; caudal-fin length 11.5-13.4% of SL; high total number of vertebrae 38-40; pharyngeal jaws with ceratobranchial 5 elongated, having several larger elongated conical teeth; nasal bones hook-shaped; no star-like pigmentation around eyes, body pigmentation striped or marbled, small iridophores visible (Ref. 123696).