This species is distinguished from all of its congeners by the following characters: a clear stripe inside the dark brown bars running from snout tip to anterior margin of eyes (vs. absence of the clear stripe and a mottled appearance in P. vittata, and a mix of vermiculations and spots on the head of the other congeners); except from P. bachi, by the presence of small dark brown spots only on fin rays, rarely reaching the interradial membranes (vs. dark spots on interradial membranes or dark stripes covering the whole fin or plain); except from P. bachi by the interorbital distance, 31.1-32.9 (vs. 51.5-71.0% HL); except from P. bachi, P. braueri, P. brevis , P. cavatica, P. lineola and P. vittata by its larger cleithral width 32.3-34.6 (vs. 20.8-32.4% SL); except from P. cavatica, P. snethlageae and P. sabaji by its smaller head depth 57.8-62.2 (vs. 63.5-87.7% HL) (Ref. 84541).