Can be diagnosed from other species of Rasbora in having a unique black midlateral stripe overall forming a reed-leaf-like profile, consisting of the following: a subdorsal blotch that starts tapering anteriorly from the vertical through the dorsal-fin origin where its dorsal margin appears to be slightly crested, and the tapering extends further anteriorly reaching mid-humeral region via a long pointed anterior tip; a midhumeral diffuse patch in which melanophores concentrate right below the subdorsal blotch and extends anteriorly in a somewhat diffuse fashion to reach the midhumeral region; and a posterior-portion stripe that terminates posteriorly at the area immediately dorsal to the anterior apex of the triangular basicaudal blotch (Ref. 94947).