This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VII + 9; pectoral fins 14-15; gill rakers 6-7 + 16-18 = 22-25; body is nearly rounded and moderately elongate; msmts as % SL: body depth at first dorsal-fin origin 23-25 and at anal-fin origin 20-22, caudal-peduncle depth 9.7-10 and width 4.8-5.4, maximum head depth 19-20 with head depth through eye 16-17, head length 28-30, snout length 11-13, orbit length 5.7-6.8, upper-jaw length 11-12, barbel length 19-21, caudal-fin length 27-29, anal-fin height 16-18, pelvic-fin length 20-22, pectoral-fin length 18-20, first dorsal-fin height 19-21 with the dorsal-fin spines proportionally decreasing in height, second dorsal-fin height 16-18. Colouration and body markings: total oblique bars on caudal fin 12-14, upper caudal-fin lobe with 5-6 red mostly straight bars while lower lobe with 7-8 short red bars along ventral margin which connect dorsally to a red stripe and the latter slightly wider than orbit diameter; about 3 short red or reddish-grey bars along dorsal margin of fin lobe that do not correspond with bars on ventral-lobe margin; caudal-fin colour patterns partly or completely lost after preservation; when fresh the dorsal fins have 3-4 thin red or brown stripes that may be weakly retained in preservative, the barbels rose whitish or white; when freshly deceased, body colour dorsally pale reddish orange, ventral half creamy white, sometimes with red patches or blotches, ventral margin pale creamy white, indistinct mid-lateral body stripe, head dorsally pale red and silvery white ventrally, with red patches below and behind eyes; when preserved, body and head dorsally pale brown or brown and ventrally white (Ref. 123711).