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 humeral process clearly visible through the skin and anterior margin of the pectoral-fin spine mostly smooth (vs. humeral process embedded under the skin and anterior margin of

the pectoral-fin spine mostly serrated); differs from stiassnyae by dorsolaterally positioned eyes (vs. dorsally) and spotted fins (vs. unspotted pectoral, pelvic and anal fin); differs from patersoni, dolichorhinus, luendaensis, chiumbeensis by having black background spots in between the darker spots constituting the vertical rows (vs. absent); differs further from luendaensis by the spotted head and fins (vs. unspotted); differs from ernstswartzi, megalasma by the body with vertical rows of spots (vs. vertical rows of blotches) and bluntly triangular snout (vs. round snout in ernstswartzi or partly round snout in megalasma); further differs ernstswartzi by lower body depth, 16.0%-16.2% SL (vs. deeper, 18.2%-19.9% SL); differs from dolichorhinus by deeper body, 16.0%-16.2% SL (vs. shallow, 11.6%-14.0% SL); differs from lueleensis by scattered black spots in between vertical rows (vs. one or two spots in between vertical rows) and spotted mandibular barbels (vs. unspotted) (Ref. 132425).