Distinguished from all other congeners by having a unique combination of the following characters: eyes and scales absent; lips with furrows; outer rostral barbel longer than other 2 pairs of barbels, at 42.9%-54.5% of HL; anterior nostril with elongate barbel-like tip); dorsal-fin rays 2 (spines)/7 or 8 (branched rays); pelvic-fin rays 1/6; anal-fin rays 2/6; pectoral-fin rays 1/10-12; branched caudal-fin rays 13 or 14; distal margin of dorsal-fin truncate, dorsal fin origin much closer to caudal-fin base than snout tip; dorsal-fin origin posterior to vertical line with pelvic-fin origin; pectoral fins flabellate, pectoral-fin length 53.3%-58.0% of distance between pectoral-fin origin and pelvic-fin origin; pelvic fins short, not reaching anus; caudal fin slightly emarginate; dorsal and ventral crests present on caudal-peduncle; posterior chamber of gas-bladder developed, reaching pelvic-fin origin (Ref. 91775).