This species is distinguished from its congeners ahli, altipinnis, balayi, buettikoferi, longiceps, monkei, pantherinus, punctatus by having a broad humeral process (vs. pointed humeral process); further differs from altipinnis, balayi, pantherinus, punctatus by the coarse skin (vs. smooth skin); differs from buettikoferi, monkei by the anterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine mostly smooth (vs. serrated from base to tip); differs from zebratus by the humeral process clearly visible through the skin, presence of five to six bars on small or vertical rows of spots on large, and anterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine mostly smooth (vs. humeral process embedded under the skin, four to five vertical rows of spots on small specimens or four to five bars on larger specimens, and anterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine mostly serrated); differs from stiassnyae by the absence of black background spots in between the vertical bars or rows of spots (vs. reticulated pattern), a depressed head, head depth 34.6%-40.0% HL (vs. moderately depressed head, head depth 43.5%-58.7% HL), and a narrow body depth, 11.6%-14.0% SL (vs. a deeper body depth, 15.7%-22.7% SL); differs from all other species of the P. ngamensis species group by a depressed head; head depth 34.6%-40.0% HL (vs. a moderately depressed head; head depth 40.6%-60.8% HL in ngamensis, 48.5%-54.9% HL in patersoni, 41.2%-50.3% HL in lueleensis, 41.7%-42.0% HL in poikilos, 49.5%-54.0% HL in ernstswartzi, 42.0%-53.5% HL in chiumbeensis, 48.2%-59.2% HL in luendaensis), by the narrow body depth, 11.6%-14.0% SL (vs. deeper body depth, 14.6%-23.5% SL in ngamensis, 15.5%-21.4% SL patersoni, 15.0%-17.4% SL in lueleensis, 16.0%-16.2% SL in poikilos, 18.2%-19.9% SL in ernstswartzi, 20.2%-20.9% SL in megalasma, 14.8%-21.3% SL in luendaensis, 14.5%-18.9% SL in chiumbeensis); further differs from lueleensis, poikilos, ernstswartzi, megalasma by a narrow interpectoral distance, 17.4%-18.2% SL (vs. wider, 18.8%-22.5% SL in lueleensis, 18.4%-21.0% SL in poikilos, 19.8%-20.6% SL in ernstswartzi, 18.8%-21.9 % SL in megalasma) and by having unspotted fins (vs. fins with numerous black spots in ngamensis, lueleensis, poikilos or faint spots in chiumbeensis or blotches in ernstswartzi, megalasma (Ref. 132425).