This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: occipital not convex prominently, dorsal of snout with median shallow groove, reaching to interorbital pore; three or more shallow wrinkles (usually 3) on posterior part of eye; body with numerous longitudinal wrinkles, also prominent on abdomen; head length 5.2-6.2% TL; tail length 65.4-68.8% TL; two protrusions along upper lip from each side (some paratypes 1 on one side); dorsal-fin origin slightly behind pectoral-fin tip; SO 1 + 3, POM 5 (or rarely 6) + 2; teeth small (but larger in intermaxillary and anterior vomer); body dark brown, paler abdomen; dark-margined dorsal fin, anal fin initially pale but in posterior part with faded dark margin, the area more than two head length; total vertebrae 199-207, MVF 14-62-202 (Ref. 133101).