Diagnosis: Enteromius vandewallei is distinguished from all other Enteromius species of West Africa by the following unique combination of characters: last simple dorsal-fin ray smooth on posterior margin, vs. denticulate in E. cadenati, E. carcharhinoides, E. dialonensis and E. guineensis; 4.5 scales between dorsal-fin base and lateral line, vs. 5.5 in E. subinensis and 3.5 in E. ablabes, E. aboinensis, E. aliciae, E. anema, E. baudoni, E. bawkuensis, E. callipterus, E. clauseni, E. eburneensis, E. guildi, E. huguenyi, E. liberiensis, E. macrops, E. melanotaenia, E. niokoloensis, E. parablabes, E. pumilus, punctitaeniatus, E. raimbaulti, E. teugelsi, E. trispiloides, E. walkeri and E. zalbiensis; two pairs of barbels, vs. no barbels in E. leonensis, E. salessei, E. stigmatopygus and E. sylvaticus, and only one pair in E. pobeguini; no spots on the flanks, vs. spots present in E. anniae, E. boboi, E. camptacanthus, E. lauzannei, E. macinensis, E. perince, E. sublineatus, E. tiekoroi, E. traorei and E. trispilos; 12 scale rows around caudal peduncle, vs. 9-10 in E. inaequalis and 10 in E. ditinensis; a black band in the middle of the flanks, vs. no band in E. bagbwensis and E. foutensis; long barbels, the anterior pair reaching the posterior half of eye, the posterior one reaching the front edge of the pre-opercula, vs. short barbels, the anterior pair falling short of eye, the posterior sometimes extending beyond center of eye in E. atakorensis; 8 branched dorsal-fin rays, vs. 7 in E. atakorensis; lateral line clearly depressed below the dorsal fin, vs. lateral line straight in E. chlorotaenia and E. bigornei; head length 26.4-28.4% of standard length, vs. 22.6-25.7% in E. nigeriensis; interorbital width 22-27% of head length, vs. 27-36% in E. nigeriensis; and with a rather narrow, black, longitudinal band covering less than 0.5 scale in the middle of the flanks and rising about 1 scale above lateral line at the level of the dorsal fin, vs. longitudinal band, whenever present, often wider, covering more than 0.5 scale in the middle of the flanks while rising only about 0.5 a scale above the lateral line in E. nigeriensis (Ref. 114035).

Description: A medium-sized, rather slender-bodied species with a pointed head, slightly convex dorsal profile and sub-terminal mouth (Ref. 114035). Barbels long, anterior pair extending beyond level of mid-eye, posterior one reaching level of edge of mid-preopercula (Ref. 114035). Dorsal fin with 3 unbranched and 8 branched rays, positioned approximately midway between snout and caudal-fin base, origin anterior to pelvic-fin insertion; last unbranched dorsal-fin ray long and flexible, lacking serrations on posterior margin; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 5 branched rays; pectoral fin with 1 unbranched and 13-17 branched rays; pelciv fin with 1 unbranched and 7 branched rays; caudal fin forked (Ref. 114035). Scale formula: 4.5/27-30/4.5;2.5;12; lateral line complete, and distinctly depressed below dorsal fin; lateral line scales not enlarged relative to those along adjacent rows above and below; pelvic axillary scale always present and pointed (Ref. 114035). Gill rakers short, broad based and ridge like; number of gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch 4-6 (Ref. 114035). Tubercles absent (Ref. 114035). Total vertebrae 32, 16 or 17 abdominal plus 16 pr 15 caudal; predorsal vertebrae 11-12; first dorsal pterygiophore inserted between neural spines of vertebral centra 8-9; first anal pterygiophore situated between haemal spines of vertebral centra 18-19 (Ref. 114035).

Colouration: Preserved specimens with an overall brownish background colour; a distinct black longitudinal band starting just behind operculum as a thin line, covering less than 0.5 scale in height, and situated at level of lateral line; more posteriorly, on level of caudal peduncle, band widening and covering about 0.5 scale in height; band ending as a small spot at base of caudal fin; longitudinal band rising about 1 scale above lateral line at level of dorsal fin, resulting in a sinuous space between both extending from level of operculum to level of anal-fin base; all fins whitish, translucent or even transparent (Ref. 114035).