Diagnosis: A shallow-bodied, elongate Paretroplus diagnosed from all congeners except P. nourissati and P. tsimoly by the presence of two wide and convergent, below the lateral midline, dark brown to black midlateral bands, representing the second and third or third and fourth bars in series (Ref. 78623). Paretroplus lamenabe is distinguished from P. nourissati and P. tsimoly by a deeper body, 47.0-54.3% of standard length vs. 38.1-43.5% and 41.1-46.8% respectively; by the presence of pelvic fins that extend beyond origin of the anal fin when adducted, and by a larger adult size , regularly exceeding 180 mm standard length vs. less than 160 mm standard length in P. nourissati and P. tsimoly (Ref. 78623).

Description: A shallow-bodied and elongate Paretroplus, belonging to a clade which also includes P. nourissati and P. tsimoly (Ref. 78623). Head pointed, snout straight, and predorsal profile moderately curved; dorsal body outline moderately curved, ventral outline mostly straight, except posteriorly; lips normal in development and not hypertrophied or lobed; caudal peduncle short, deep, and laterally compressed; no readily discernable sexually dimorphic characters apparent (Ref. 78623). Total vertebral count 30 to 32, with formulae of 14+16, 14+17, 15+16, and 14+18, precaudal and caudal vertebrae, respectively (Ref. 78623). Jaws isognathous; lips not notably fleshy, and covered with fine papillae; upper and lower lips not extended into median lobes or flaps; single row of spatulate unicuspid teeth in both upper and lower jaws; teeth laterally expanded, flattened at crown, and implanted procumbently; in upper jaw, tooth on either side of premaxillary symphysis greatly enlarged, and other teeth graded in size laterally; lower-jaw teeth at symphysis not enlarged, but reduced in size compared to adjacent lateral teeth, presumably to accommodate enlarged upper symphyseal teeth; teeth in upper jaw number seven to nine on each side, and total 15-18; teeth in lower jaw number three to five on each side, and total 7-10; upper-jaw teeth relatively closely set for members of Paretroplus; lower-jaw teeth irregularly and widely set (Ref. 78623). Upper and lower pharyngeal tooth plates well developed and dentition robust; dentition on lower pharyngeal tooth plates hooked and bicuspid both laterally and anteriorly, becoming progressively enlarged medially; robust molariform teeth present posteromedially; lower pharyngeal jaw weakly sutured, with few weak interdigitations on the ventral suture, located posteroventrally; a narrow gap present between left and right fifth ceratobranchial elements posterior to ventral suture; indentation present on ventral margin of posterior horns of lower pharyngeal jaw; six or seven robust tooth plates cover majority of dorsal surface of fourth ceratobranchial bones; tooth plates not confluent with outer-row gill rakers of fourth ceratobranchial elements; dentition on fourth ceratobranchial tooth plates unicuspid or weakly hooked and bicuspid laterally, hooked and bicuspid medially; dentition on third upper pharyngobranchial tooth plates molariform posteromedially, hooked and bicuspid laterally and anteromedially; dentition on second pharyngeal tooth plates hooked and bicuspid, and arrayed in three rows (Ref. 78623). Twelve to 14 triangular and elongate gill rakers arrayed along lower limb of first gill arch; rakers denticulate dorsally and medially; all other lower-limb rakers triangular, and strongly denticulate dorsally; on gill arches 2-4, teeth much shorter than gill-raker bases; epibranchial rakers on first gill arch slender and elongate, and number 12 or 13; rakers on ventral half of first epibranchial denticulate dorsomedially; those on dorsal half edentate (Ref. 78623). Body covered with large, regularly imbricate, cycloid scales; posterior field of lateral body scales thin and not ossified; well-developed scale ridges present along dorsal- and anal-fin bases; scale ridges free from spiny dorsal and anal fins, but becoming fused to membranes of both soft dorsal and anal; on membranes between fin rays, multiple discrete rows of scales extend well beyond scale ridges and onto both soft dorsal and anal fins; pelvic axillary scale present and well developed; interpelvic scale elongate and rather pointed terminally; lateral-line scales number 36-39; chest scales noticeably reduced in size and embedded; belly scales markedly reduced in size compared to chest scales, those along ventral midline smallest and very embedded; multiple rows of scales, markedly reduced in size, extend on flanks from chest, dorsal to pelvic fins and anus, to about anal-fin origin; four to six rows of scales on cheek; preopercle asquamate both ventrally and along posterior margin, scaled only dorsally, and anteriorly to a varying degree, on dorsal shaft; opercle and interopercle scaled; snout, lacrimal, and anterior portion of interorbital region asquamate; scales on caudal fin reduced in size and extending posteriorly to over 3/4 length of fin on dorsal and ventral lobes, and 1/3 to 1/2 length of fin medially (Ref. 78623). Dorsal with XV-XVII spines, 11-16 soft rays; anal with VII-IX spines, 10-12 soft rays; origin of dorsal fin located somewhat posterior to vertical through pectoral-fin insertion; distal margins of soft dorsal and anal fins weakly produced and more or less rounded, and extend well beyond caudal-fin origin; caudal fin weakly emarginate, upper and lower lobes broad and more or less rounded to weakly pointed; trailing margins of upper and lower lobes weakly produced; pectoral fin broad and rounded at distal margin; pelvic fin extends beyond origin of anal fin when adducted; in few specimens that could reliably be sexed, caudal margins of both soft dorsal and anal fins, and caudal fin, pointed and more produced in males (Ref. 78623).

Colouration: Colouration in life: pinkish brown, grey, or bluish grey (nonbreeding, sexually quiescent) to bright yellow or orangish (presumably sexually active individual) with two prominent vertical and generally converging, below the lateral midline, brownish, dark gray, or black midlateral bars; a total of six to seven vertical bars present on flank; apart from two prominent midlateral bars, representing the second and third or third and fourth bars in series, remaining bars generally faint, although those on posterior flank readily visible; lips and gular region gray to light bluish grey to dark grayish blue; fins dark gray to orangish yellow; margins of soft dorsal and anal fins, and caudal fin, bright orange; dark grey to black triangular patch generally visible in pectoral-fin axil (Ref. 78623). Colouration in preservative: base body colouration gray, bluish gray, or grayish brown; six or seven dark gray vertical bars present on flanks; apart from two prominent midlateral bars, which generally converge below the lateral midline, remaining bars comparatively faint, although those on posterior flank readily visible; body colouration somewhat darker overall dorsally; dark gray to blackish triangular patch present in pectoral-fin axil; snout, lacrimal, and interorbital region beige to dark gray; lips pale yellow to gray; bluish-grey to dark grayish-blue colouration on lips and gular region not evident in any preserved specimens; unpaired fins beige, brownish gray, or charcoal gray; posterior margins of unpaired fins light and somewhat translucent gray; pectoral fins beige to light gray; pelvic fins solid beige, or gray to charcoal gray with lighter gray leading edge (Ref. 78623).