Belongs to the member of the Macrognathus aculeatus group but distinguished from all other species of the this group by the following combination of characters: 15-17 rostral tooth plates; 19-22 dorsal-fin spines; and large (eye size) black blotches along dorsal fin. Differs from its other Indian congeners of the Macrognathus aculeatus group as follows: from Macrognathus aral, Macrognathus pentophthalmos and Macrognathus morehensis by the presence of dorsal fin blotches (vs. white rimmed dorsal fin ocelli), from Macrognathus aral and Macrognathus pentophthalmos by having 15-17 rostral tooth plates (vs. 19-27); and also from Macrognathus pentophthalmos and Macrognathus morehensis by having 19-22 dorsal-fin spines (vs. 11-16) and from Macrognathus morehensis by having 15-17 rostral plates (vs. 8-11) (Ref. 83418).