Gymnochanda verae can be differentiated from its congeners by the following characters: mature males with expanded anal and second dorsal fins, the soft rays of both fins extending to midway of the caudal fin, forming a triangular profile; the highly elongated rays of the anal and second dorsal fins joined throughout their length by the interradial membrane; up to half of the distal part of both the anal and the second dorsal fins carmine red in life (hyaline when preserved); distal half of both upper and lower caudal-fin lobes carmine red in life (hyaline when preserved); female without any elongated fin rays or colour. Gymnochanda verae also differs from its congeners apparently in having more serrae on its head: supraorbital ridge with 7 anterior serrae (vs. 0–5 anterior spines in the other species), preorbital ridge with 3 serrae (vs. 4 in G. flamea and 2 in G. limi); preopercular ridge with 7 serrae (vs. 1–4 in the other species); interopercle with 2 serrae (vs. none in G. limi and G. flamea); hind margin of preopercle with up to 9 serrae (vs. 1–5 in the other species). Information on head serrations on G. filamentosa are from Fraser-Brunner (1954: 210) and Boeseman (1957: 76), and on G. limi from Kottelat (1995: 56) (Ref. 88067).