Nemadoras cristinae differs from all congeners by the possession of the following characters: 3-9 premaxillary teeth in approximately two rows in juveniles and adults; outermost teeth weakly spatulate and innermost more acicular (vs. premaxillary edentulous in adults of all congeners and limited to 1-6 acicular teeth in juveniles of N. elongatus, N. humeralis, N. leporhinus and N. ternetzi); and mental barbels with extremely elongate (filiform) papillae, length of longest about 4-7 times its width at base (vs. papillae shorter, length of longest <3 times its width at base). It can be further differentiated from very similar species N. leporhinus, by having shaft and primary fimbriae of maxillary barbel smooth (vs. outer margin of shaft and margins of primary fimbriae with distinct secondary fimbriae) (Ref. 96153).

Description: anal fin iii-iv,8-11; pelvic fin i,6 (Ref. 96153).