This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VII + 9; pectoral fins 14; gill rakers 6-7 + 17 = 23-24; body shape oval and moderately elongate; measurements as %SL: body depth at first dorsal-fin origin 23-24, body depth at anal-fin origin 22, caudal-peduncle depth 11, caudal-peduncle width 3.8-3.9, maximum head depth 20, head depth through eye 16, head length 30, snout length 12. orbit length 6.4-6.5. upper-jaw length 12. barbel length 19, caudal-fin length 28-29, anal-fin height 16, pelvic-fin length 19-20, pectoral-fin length 19-20, pectoral-fin width 5.0-5.1, first dorsal-fin height 20, dorsal fin spines proportionally decreasing in height, second dorsal fin height 17. Colouration: caudal fin with 13 total oblique bars, upper caudal-fin lobe with 6 reddish-brown bars, the two most proximal bars slightly curved, the distal-most bar on lobe tip; lower caudal-fin lobe with 7 short reddish-brown bars along ventral margin which connect dorsally to a broad reddish-brown to red stripe that covers most of lobe ends on lobe tip; dorsal fins in fresh fish with four brownish-red stripes; barbels white; body colour in freshly deceased fish greyish silvery, dorsally slightly darker, with a weakly indicated reddish-brown mid-lateral body stripe from snout through eye to caudal-fin, connecting there to lower caudal-lobe stripe; head grey dorsally with reddish patches below eye; paired and anal fins pale-whitish hyaline; body and head uniformly pale brown, colour patterns on dorsal and caudal fins lost and barbels pale in preserved fish (Ref. 125842)