A member of the Puntius conchonius group and is most similar to P. cumingii, P. meingangbii and P. tiantian by having a dark vertical bar anteriorly on side and a dark round blotch on caudal peduncle. Differs from P. cumingii by 12 vs. 10 circumpeduncular scales and 3 1/2 vs. 4 1/2 scales above midline; from P. meingangbii by 40.4-48.2% SL vs. 33.3-39.6% SL body depth of adults; and from geographically close P. tiantian by having last unbranched dorsal fin ray thick and strongly serrated instead of slender, flexible and with short serrations posteriorly, body depth 40.4-48.2% SL vs. 35.4-39.8% SL, dorsal fin length 26.6-31.8% SL vs. 23.2-26.0% SL, lateral line limited to six to seven, rarely up to ten anterior scales, vs. continued to caudal fin base, and males with two series of black marks in dorsal fin and one series of black marks in anal fin, vs. a single dark bank in each fin in male P. tiantian. Distinguished form P. phutunio by wider infraorbitals 3+4, extending posteriorly to the margin of the preopercle instead of only halfway to the preopercle, 12 vs. 10 circumpeduncular scales, absence of a dark blotch anteriorly at the base of the dorsal fin, and absence of a dark bank extending obliquely rostrad and ventrad from immediately posterior to the dorsal fin base (Ref. 54351).

Description: D. iii.8, iv.8; P. i.12, i.13, i.14; V. i.7, i.8; A. iii.5 (Ref. 54351).