This species is distinguished from its congeners ahli, altipinnis, balayi, buettikoferi, longiceps, monkei, pantherinus, punctatus by a broad humeral process (vs. pointed humeral process); differs further from altipinnis, balayi, pantherinus, punctatus by its coarse skin (vs. smooth); differs from zebratus by its 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 its truncated caudal fin (vs. rounded), dorsolaterally positioned eyes (vs. dorsally positioned), and the presence of regularly spaced vertical rows of spots on the flank (vs. irregularly spaced blotches); differs from ngamensis, lueleensis, poikilos, ernstswartzi, megalasma by the absence of background spots (vs. present in ngamensis, lueleensis, poikilos, or vermiculated pattern in ernstswartzi, or blotches in megalasma);

differs further from lueleensis, poikilos, ernstswartzi, megalasma by the relative long interdorsal-adipose distance, 6.3%-12.7% SL (vs. narrow interdorsal-adipose distance, 3.7%-6.8% SL in lueleensis, 5.5%-5.8% SL in poikilos, 3.8%-5.0% SL in ernstswartzi, and 3.9%-4.8% SL in megalasma); differs further from ernstswartzi, megalasma by its vertical rows of spots (vs. vertical rows of blotches in ernstswartzi, megalasma); differs from luendaensis by its faintly spotted fins (vs. unspotted); differs further from poikilos by its shorter prepectoral fin length, 26.7%-29.5% SL (vs. longer, 30.6%-31.4% SL); differs further from poikilos, megalasma by having a

shorter adipose fin, 26.0%-34.9% SL (vs. longer, 36.0%-36.6% SL in poikilos and 35.6%-36.9% SL in megalasma); differs further from dolichorhinus by its deeper body, 14.8%-21.3% SL (vs. shallow, 11.6%-14.0% SL) (Ref. 132425).