This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VII,9; pectoral fins 14; gill rakers 7-8 + 18-20 = 26-27; lateral line scales 29-30; body depth at first dorsal fin origin 21-24% SL and at anus 20-22% SL; caudal-peduncle depth 9.1-10% SL; maximum head depth 18-20% SL; head depth through eye 15-16% SL; head length 26-28%SL; orbit length 6.3-7.8% SL; upper jaw length 10-11% SL; barbel length 16-18% SL; caudal-fin length 27-29% SL; anal-fin height 16-17% SL; pelvic-fin length 20-23% SL; pectoral-fin length 20-22% SL; first dorsal-fin height 20-21% SL; second dorsal-fin height 15-16% SL; 11-15 total bars on caudal fin, 4-6 reddish brown bars on upper caudal-fin lobe; 5-9 red-brown or grey bars on ventral half of lower lobe, extending to a broad brown or dark grey stripe along middle of lobe; 3-4 brownish-red or grey bars on inner, dorsal half of lower caudal-fin lobe (bar patterns usually retained on preserved fish); none or only faint indication of a mid-lateral body stripe on fresh fish; first dorsal-fin not pigmented; yellow or white barbels; body greyish or red-brown, darkened dorsally, covered with grey to reddish-brown spots reaching lateral side; dark-brown or red bar from eye vertically downwards may show on live fish; body dorsally darkened in preserved fish (Ref. 83903).