This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VII + 9; pectoral fins 12-15; gill rakers 5-8 + 16-19 = 23-26. Measurements as %SL for adults: body depth at first dorsal fin origin 21-26 and at anus 18-22; caudal-peduncle depth 9.3-11; maximum head depth 18-22 and through eye 15-18; head length 26-29; snout length 9.4-12; orbit length 5.9-8.5; upper jaw length 9.5-12; barbel length 16-20; caudal-fin length 27-31; anal-fin height 15-19; pelvic-fin length 19-22; pectoral-fin length 19-22; first dorsal-fin height 20-25, at least one of the first 3 spines disproportionally higher; second dorsal-fin height 14-18; total oblique bars on caudal fin 7-16; upper caudal-fin lobe with 5-6 (rarely 4) reddish bars with 4-5 (rarely 3) bars distally from fork and one bar close to fin lobe base, of similar width or narrower than the pale interspaces between bars; there are 2-10 often faint, rather short and/or irregularly arranged red bars on ventral margin of lower caudal-fin lobe, sometimes extending to dorsal half of lobe or connecting to a red stripe which covers the lobe dorsally to two-thirds of its width at maximum; the caudal-fin lobe bars and stripe fade away after death and only traces retained in preserved fish; when fresh, barbels yellow rarely white; body colour may be variable, often white or rose below lateral line, covered by red pigmentation above lateral line which may also reach down ventrally and to head, sometimes forming red patches or blotches; body raely with a faint red or red-orange mid-lateral stripe from behind eye to caudal-fin base; when preserved, the body is pale brown and not dorsally darkened (Ref. 83903).