This species is distinguished from its congeners ahli, altipinnis, balayi, buettikoferi, longiceps, monkei, pantherinus, punctatus by the presence of vertical rows of blotches (vs. vertical rows of spots or bands in monkei, zebratus) and further differs from these species by a partly round snout (vs. bluntly triangular); differs from stiassnyae with truncated caudal fin (vs. rounded), dorsolaterally positioned eyes (vs. dorsally), and spotted fins (vs. unspotted pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins); it differs from all other species except ernstswartzi by its body having vertical rows of blotches with smaller blotches between them (vs. body with vertical rows of spots or bars and spots between them in ngamensis, lueleensis or absent background spots in patersoni, dolichorhinus, luendaensis, chiumbeensis); differs further differentiated from ernstswartzi by the vertical rows of blotches not extending onto adipose fin (vs. rows extending onto adipose fin), eyes situated dorsolaterally (vs. eyes situated dorsally), and deeper body depth, 18.2%-19.9% SL (vs. shallow body depth, 15.0%-17.4% SL); differs luendaensis by the spotted head and fins (vs. unspotted); differs further from luendaensis, chiumbeensis by the relatively long predorsal length, 40.7%-41.9% SL (vs. shorter, 37.9%-40.1% SL in luendaensisand 35.6%-40.8% SL in chiumbeensis); differs further chiumbeensis by its longer adipose fin, 35.6%-36.9% SL (vs. shorter, 26.0%-34.9% SL) (Ref. 132425).