This species can be distinguished from Salmo kottelati by the combination of the following characters: black spots on the body are few in males and not increasing in number with size (vs. commonly numerous in males and increasing in number with size); black spots restricted to the upper part of the flank, mostly in its anterior (vs. located on median, and half of upper and lower parts of the flank; 112-120 scales on the lateral line (vs. 105-113); 28-31, mean 29, scale rows between the dorsal-fin origin and the lateral line (vs. 24-29, mean 26); 19-23 scale rows between the anal-fin origin and the lateral line (vs. 17-19) (Ref. 99540)