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 six to seven vertical rows of spots regardless of the size, 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 dorsolaterally positioned eyes (vs. dorsally) and spotted fins (vs. unspotted pectoral, pelvic, and anal fin); differs from all other species of the P. ngamensis species group by one or two black background spots in between vertical rows of spots (vs. absent background spots in patersoni, dolichorhinus, luendaensis, chiumbeensis or numerous spots in ngamensis, poikilos or vermiculated pattern on the background in ernstswartzi or blotches in megalasma), differs further from luendaensis by its spotted fins (vs. unspotted), differs further from ernstswartzi, megalasma by its shallow body depth, 15.0%-17.4% SL (vs. deeper, 18.2%-19.9% SL in ernstswartzi and 20.2%-20.9% SL in megalasma), differs further from dolichorhinus by its deeper head, 41.2%-50.3% SL (vs. smaller head depth in dolichorhinus, 34.6%-40.0% SL) and wider interpectoral distance, 18.8%-22.5% SL (vs. narrow interpectoral distance dolichorhinus, 17.4%-18.2% SL) (Ref. 132425).